


A Royal Affair

by peggyrogers



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Crown (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Forbidden Love, Love at First Sight, Peggy is a Royal, Peggy is basically a big sister to Elizabeth and Margaret, Relationship(s), Sibling Love, Spoilers for The Crown
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-26 11:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 90,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9895514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggyrogers/pseuds/peggyrogers
Summary: 21st November 1947Peggy sets out to America as a favor to her Uncle, King George. Whilst there, she falls in love with a Solider, Steve Rogers. He is poor, low class and everything the Royal Family does not look for in a suitor for one of their Princesses.(Follows the narrative structure of The Crown)





	1. SEASON 1

_20th November 1947_

She watched as her cousin and newly wedded husband stepped through the doors of Westminster Abbey. Peggy knew how long her dear cousin had waited for this moment.

Elizabeth had loved Philip ever since they were merely children, and despite the disapproval of certain family members. Her life was fulfilled by finally being able to make him her husband. Peggy was yet to feel something like that, right now, she just had to settle for being a single Princess. Being 26, it was expected for her to be married by now. But she refused to marry for the sake of being married. She wanted what Elizabeth had. She wanted to marry for love and nothing else, she wanted no agenda or any kind of force towards a man who would be  _ suitable _ .

People also assumed that Peggy and Philip would have started something together, being of the same age. But no, he was a friend. And even if she did like him like that, she would never have done that to Elizabeth. She cared too much of her.

“Chin up, old girl” Michael, her older brother by two years came beside her and offered her his arm which she took as they walked down the aisle along with the rest of their family out the church. Peggy sighed, gripping tight onto his arm “It’s alright for you to say, you’re happily married. Children. There’s no pressure on you”

“It’s not as if you are going to be queen one day now is it? Margaret is in the same boat as you”

Peggy briefly glanced over to the lady of the moment and said as she looked back “Margaret is only seventeen”

“Why the urge to be married?” he lightly laughed.

“I have no urge, I’m just tired of having our bloody family breathing down my neck” she whispered back to him, then smiling to the people from a far distance causing a crowd. Michael opened the door to the car and let her get in first before he followed. They were heading back to Buckingham Palace now. Their mother was already set on her way.

Michael straightened his tie as Peggy looked out the window and then said “Did you notice anything odd with Uncle Al today?”

Albert. Her Uncle, known to the world as King George.

“Odd? In what context?”

Peggy shrugged as she turned her head back to him “I don’t know. Just odd. Unwell?”

“Blood hell, don’t go passing that idea around. The press will have a field day if they heard a tip that the King of England is sick”

“I am not saying he is sick, he just seemed a little pale that’s all”

“He may have been pale to the fact that he has just witnessed his eldest daughter getting married. Flying the nest as they say” Michael laughed to her, then looking out the window himself and adding “God knows Philip has fought tooth and nail to win his approval”

“I think he just knew that Elizabeth wasn’t going to back down from choosing him over the stuffy suitors she was given”

“Well, you two are much alike then”

Peggy rolled her eyes “Do shut up” she heard him mutter a small laugh as he looked down to his hands.

It didn’t take long to get back to the palace. As soon as Peggy stepped out of the car, she was cheered and whistled by the crowds outside the gates, fighting the metal bars to get through which seemed absolutely ridiculous. But she was the most desired eligible Princess, especially now with Elizabeth being married. When Margaret becomes more of age she’s sure that the attention will pan over to her as well.

She did the royal expectation and smile and waved before walking into the palace where it was like a circus. People running around to make sure everything goes smoothly, one butler bowed to her whilst running which was fairly amusing. They made their way up to where everyone else were. Having photos taken, they walked in to see Philip and Elizabeth stood in front of the camera, looking very happy.

They both stood beside Elizabeth’s mother. Their mother and grandmother. They gave her light smiles as they stood on the sidelines and watched. Her grandmother, Mary, who was George’s mother, was a stern woman. So it was hardly surprising when she said “I never expected to see Elizabeth married before you, Margaret”

“You underestimate my cousin’s charms, granny” Peggy wittingly answered back, seeing the amused smirk grow on her mother's face in the corner of her eye. Which she tried to hide from Mary since she was her dreaded mother in law. Peggy then looked back to Elizabeth and said “Besides. Not everyone can have a Philip”

“When do you leave for America, Peggy?” her Aunt Elizabeth asked her.  

“Tomorrow morning”

Peggy plays her part for the Royal Family. She is not in the line, she is no heir. But she is very close to Elizabeth. Best friends in fact, she was like a sister as much as Margaret was and she had a character that the public of both this country and all the other country adored. So she also does ground work, doing what it is that Royals do. This time it was awarding medals to soldiers who had just fought in the war.

She sighed again and mocked being the victim “I shall be doing all the work whilst that one is whisked away to cosy Hampshire with her husband”

“You could have already had that if you had married Fredrick” she heard her grandmother mutter.

“Not everyone longs for a loveless marriage” Peggy came back with, to then be called over to the front to have a picture with Elizabeth. Perfect timing to not have her head bitten off. Peggy took herself over, Elizabeth giving her an amused smirk to her as she stepped up “Hello you, what did you say to her this time?”

“Haven't the foggiest what you are talking about” she smiled to her, seeing Elizabeth glancing to their grandmother and saying “Well, she wants to kill you for  _ some  _ reason”

Peggy straightened her gown and whispered as she looked up to the camera, standing closely to Elizabeth “She’s breathing down my neck about marriage again. Smile”

They both gave warm smiles as the camera flashed in her eyes. Peggy widened them as she looked down for a moment. Feeling slightly blinded by it all. Hearing her cousin laugh at her. Margaret then joined them and the three of them posed for a few photos.

Afterwards, when they were preparing themselves to head outside to the balcony, to do some more waving and smiling. Peggy walked besides Philip and said “Must I remind you how if you do anything to cause my dearest cousin pain I will inflict a lot on you”

Philip smiled and shook his head “Oh, Peggy, you’ve been warning that very thing to me since the day you discovered we were writing to each other”

“Good. Always important to double check on the matter”

“You know, my best man arrived here single-”

“No” Peggy shook her head, looking to Philip and saying “No more setting me up with your friends”

“They’re not all bad”

“They are all stuffy nancy boys” Peggy muttered to him, then hearing him say back in the same tone “Oh. Well thank you”

“You’re one of the good ones. Regardless of my family’s opinion”

He smiled to her, looking genuinely touched and thankful “Thank you” he said in a whisper.

Elizabeth came up between them “What are you two chit chatting about?”

“Always you, darling” Philip said as he kissed the top of her head.

The doors opened and Elizabeth and Philip walked out first. With such grace and pose. Peggy looked to the side and saw how Margaret seemed slightly nervous, which was understandable. When she was a teenager she’d get nervous doing things like this. Peggy smiled and took hold of her hand. Margaret looked to her, Peggy smiled and gave her a wink and a nod. Which in exchange, Margaret looked very much grateful. They then followed and stepped out.

* * *

There was a gathering of family afterwards of course. Not so much of a party, but there was music and drinking. So it was fairly close, it was just much quieter. Peggy lived at the palace with Elizabeth and the rest of the family. George insisted she did so due to her being so close to them all. With her father being long passed, her mother prefered to now be in the countryside, and Michael had his wife and children at his home. The place was certainly large enough for her to stay.

Margaret played the piano whilst George sang. Peggy moved over to Elizabeth, with a glass of red in her hand and said “Are we all set for tomorrow?”

“I certainly am” Elizabeth said with a overwhelming smile on her face. Peggy grinned to her and said as she looked over to Philip “You look happy”

“I am”

“You’ve been waiting for this day since you were thirteen” Peggy looked back to her and raised her brows “What’s your secret?”

“Luck” Elizabeth laughed “You’ll find it soon enough”

“There aren’t many men like Philip out there. Like a rare diamond”

“No...but there are ones that are just as lovely” Elizabeth tried her best to encourage. She knew Peggy very well, better than anyone in fact apart from Michael. Peggy didn’t  _ want  _ to get married. She  _ wanted  _ to fall in love. Which she thought wasn’t that much to ask for.

“And are you? Set for your trip tomorrow to America?”

Peggy sighed and nodded “Almost”

“ _ Peggy _ ”

“I was distracted today” Peggy smiled, turning to Elizabeth once again and said “My little cousin was getting married”

Elizabeth grinned and then waved her hand before tapping Peggy’s arm “Stop that before you make me cry”

Peggy laughed and rubbed Elizabeth’s back before saying “Well let me just say one more thing. I haven't had the chance to tell you before but you look bloody beautiful” she then smiled and said “And  _ that  _ is last thing I’ll say that will make you emotional”

Peggy looked to the clock and gasped “Blimey, it’s later than I thought. I have a flight to catch tomorrow, best go get some sleep” she put her practically empty glass of red on the table beside them and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth, then whispering to her “Congratulations Lilibet. I’ll see you when you get back from your romantic getaway”

“I look forward to it” Elizabeth pulled back and said to her “And do try to enjoy yourself during your time across the waters. Even if it is for one day”

“I promise I shall do my best” Peggy raised her brows to her as she backed away, saying her goodnights to everyone else and then leaving to go to her room.

* * *

Peggy was up at 7 o’clock. Her newly wedded cousin was still in bed with her husband. In fact, it was relatively quiet this morning. She had her bags carried to her car and was driven to the airport, arriving by half past and getting on her plane at eight along with her assistants to run her through things. 

It was a long flight to spend alone. Usually she’d have a member of her family with her. Elizabeth or Michael. She’d even make do with a dreaded conversation with her grandmother. Having her ear made feel like they were bleeding by the constant judgement from turning down the hand picked man that was Frederick, who was an eligible Lord to marry a member of the royal family. But he was dull and had nothing about him that Peggy found attractive for her. She was Elizabeth’s age when that happened, and clearly members of their family still weren’t over it. Michael didn’t like him though, so it was good to have her big brother’s support in this region.

It had been two years since the war ended, but the purpose of these medals were recognition for the american men who stepped forward and helped her country. It was for the anniversary that was the beginning of last month, but with the wedding preparation and wedding panic, it had to be delayed to now, and it had to be Peggy to do it.

“Your highness. A letter for you. We were ordered to give it to you at this time only” one of the servers said as they held the waxed sealed letter in front of her.

Peggy looked at him oddly and then took the letter out of her hand. Breaking the wax, she opened it up and had an immediate smile on her face. It was from Michael.

_ My darling Gidget, _

_ I have told the servers on the plane to give you this letter at this time because, well you will be halfway through your journey and rather bored by now. So I, your darling older brother has written you this to come to the rescue. I wish I could join you on your journey to our friends across the pond, I know how disappointed you were when I told you that I was unable to attend. But a Prince and a married man has his duties also, I can’t spend my life running around with you, though it does sound like a splendid past time doesn’t it? I always thought so. _

_ Uncle Bertie is counting on you to represent our family and country proud, so please be on your best behavior and not slap anyone who says the wrong thing to you. He would be terribly upset and we both know he looks like a wounded puppy when he is. Plus I think Margaret may kill you, that one may be young but she’s extremely protective, spritely and fierce. Like you really. _

_ I’m not sure if I will be here when you return to our great nation, and for that I can only apologise. Amanda is talking about getting away with the children. With the wedding and much more, she thinks we are well entitled to a break as a family. I’m sure you and Margaret will get up to plenty in the meantime. Not to mention you’ll more be exciting for the return of Elizabeth than little old me. I think she adores having you as a sister. I’m quite fond of it too. _

_ Like I said. Behave. Have some fun, but not too much fun. _

_ I’ll see you soon. _

_ All my love, _

_ Michael _

_ (ps: do not hesitate to pick up something for your nephews)  _

Peggy smiled and hummed a small laugh, looking at the letter a little moment longer and the finally folding it up. Well, that did put a smile on her face and did in fact entertain her for the time she had with it. Peggy sat back in her chair and looked out the window.

Just four more hours to go.

* * *

“Come on! We can’t be late for this, Steve!”

Steve checked over how he looked once more in the small mirror he had in his small brooklyn apartment. Then hearing his best friend and former war buddy James Barnes, (preferred name Bucky) call to him “Dammit Steve!”

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Steve straightened his uniform jacket and walked out of his bathroom. His front door was open where Bucky was standing and waiting for him, also with his uniform on and his hat sat neatly on his head.

Bucky stood up from leaning against the frame “You’re gonna make us late”

“It’s only a fifteen minute drive, Buck. The ceremony starts at at seven thirty, we got plenty of time” Steve said as he stepped out of his apartment and locked it behind him. Bucky sighed as he walked down the steps “You’re forgetting about traffic”

“You keep nagging like this then it’s gonna feel like I’m taking a car ride with my mother” Steve slid his hands in his pockets as he followed Bucky down the stairs. Bucky opened the car door and glanced to him, letting out a brief a laugh and then getting in. Steve rode shotgun, it wasn’t like he was fighting anyone for it.

The traffic wasn’t bad at all, Bucky was just clearly overreacting and being worried over nothing. They arrived at the hall, where it felt like a reunion with the rest of their war buddies from the 107th. It was ceremony purely for them, so it was a small one but it was great. It was good seeing everyone again. And remembering those who didn’t make it. Bucky almost didn’t, if Steve hadn’t caught him in time.

“So who’s presenting these medals? A pal of the president or something?” Steve muttered with a small laugh as he took a glass of champagne that was being passed around. Their fellow war buddy Dugan, who he was soon going to be working with in a tact team, bellowed a laugh and shook his head “You haven’t heard?”

Steve tilted his head before shrugging his shoulder “No?”

Before Dugan had the chance to tell him. They were all asked to take their seats. So Steve would have to find out all by himself.

Steve looked down to his hands for the moment when he then heard the announcer say “Gentlemen, please stand for her royal highness Princess Margaret of Cambridgeshire” Steve’s head snapped up so fast as he and the rest of the men stood up.

Peggy stepped out onto the stage and towards the podium in a burgundy gown. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Steve couldn’t believe it. This overwhelming feeling that went rushing through his body. He had seen photographs of her in the paper, but seeing her in the flesh. Seeing how extraordinarily beautiful she was, if there was a thing of love at first sight. He felt like he was feeling it right now. He suddenly had this urge to protect her with his life, he honestly felt like he would lay down his life before letting anything happen to her, he had never felt like that before for anyone. And all within a second.

Peggy laid her hands on the podium, looking down at the  _ script  _ that she was set in front of her. She best play nice and stick to it. Peggy looked up, she didn’t lock eyes on Steve, she just looked straight ahead and glanced across every so often “Good evening, gentlemen. I am thrilled to be here and present to you a medal of honour as our gratitude as a country for your bravery in being our allies during the war”

She softly smiled and said “My Uncle, King George, is overwhelmingly pleased to have America as an ally to our nation and speaking for myself. I am also entirely grateful for each and every one of you, putting your lives on the front line in order to keep our world and the future of our next generation safe. The world will always be entirely grateful and in your debt. Tonight is to celebrate your bravery but also to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our future. So drink, laugh, dance. Enjoy yourselves. Tonight is about  _ you _ . God bless you all” it was kept short and sweet. It was better that it was kept that way. She still got a rowdy applause from all the men as they once again shot up from their chairs.

All of them just buzzed with excitement that they were going to have a princess pin a medal on them. And for it to be Peggy, it just made it all the more worth fighting in those trenches. Steve felt his hands shaking as they one by one form a line as Peggy stood to the front and pinned a medal on each and everyone of them, shaking their hand which ended in them paying their respects and kissing the back of it. Bucky looked to him over his shoulder and said as he looked forward “Relax”

“How are you not nervous? Have you seen her?”

“Boy have I” Bucky muttered “But it’s just for a second, Steve, meeting a princess is a once in a lifetime thing but it will be for a second. You’ll keep the memory and never see her again so, make sure the memory is a good one to think about. You don’t want to be a rambling mess now do you?”

“Nope I guess not” Steve took a deep breath.

Peggy actually didn’t find this boring, all the men were rather pleasant and respectful. They genuinely seemed honoured. When the next one stepped forward, Peggy took hold of the medal and looked up to give a smile as she did with the rest and pin the medal on. She looked up to Steve in front of her, and suddenly felt that rush that he felt when he first saw her. Her eyes just locked onto his, everything else felt like it had frozen. She was utterly captivated and he was the same for her. Peggy’s assistant, Henry, looked around and then cleared his throat as he whispered to her “Ma’am”

Peggy lightly shook her head as she sunk back down to earth and gave him a nervous smile. She never gets nervous, this was a rather odd feeling, her hands were now shaking slightly. She successfully pinned the medal to his uniform without piercing him which she thought she would do given how damn nervous he was making her. She looked back into his hypnotising eyes. Not knowing what to say, she usually said something to each of them.  

Finally she was able to say “Thank you for your service” she held out her hand. Steve took hold of it but he didn’t shake it, he went straight to lightly pressing his lips against the back of it, which sent chills down her spine. Steve looked up to her “It was an honour, your highness”

He took his hand away from hers, she felt like grabbing hold of it once again. There’s was just something inside her that made her want to spend every waking minute with him. Peggy watched him walk away, finding herself just looking at him before hearing the next soldier in front of her quietly clear his throat and brought back her attention.

* * *

Later on, there was an after party for the 107th. Just to make a night out of the whole thing. Peggy didn’t stay for it of course, this was a fly in visit. Literally. She had to get back on her plane later on tonight to get home. Peggy got into her car and left the hall where all the former soldier boys were rebonding over many pints of beer. 

Steve had to step out for a minute, just to take a quick breather. It was chilly out but he always kind of liked the winter atmosphere. He breathed hot air into his hands and rubbed them together as he tucked them into his pocket. He then saw to the left of him a fancy looking car outside the hall. The engine was seeming to be failing, suddenly, Peggy got out. And Steve’s heart jumped. He quickly looked away and then heard her say to the driver “Do you think it can be fixed?”

“I’m sure it can be, ma’am”

“But not within the next ten minutes?”

“I’m afraid not”

He heard her sigh, then cautiously moved his eyes back over to her. Peggy had one hand on her forehead and the other on her hip. She looked extremely frustrated. And she was. She also felt someone look at her, Peggy looked to the side and saw the soldier that made her tremble before, quickly look away due to his nerves.

Now that she had seen him, he couldn’t act like he wasn’t staring. Steve looked back to her and said in a still nervous manner “C-Could I be of any help, ma’am?”

_ ‘Yes’  _ she said in her own mind. Not even thinking about the car.

Peggy softly smiled and looked to the car “Do you know how to fix an engine?” 

“Err. No” he let out a breathless laugh “I’m afraid engineering wasn’t my thing in the war. Or any other point in my life”

“Pity” Peggy said, then growing a small smirk as she joked “I could do with a knight in shining armour right now”

“Believe me I’d be that for you if I could” he joked in a laugh. Hardly even believing that he was trying to banter and dare he say flirt with a Princess. But she looked at him in a way of being impressed that he did so and that she liked the fact that he did. Peggy’s attention was brought away from him for a moment as Henry came next to her and sighed “Ma’am, it may take up to an hour. Maybe more”

“Bloody hell” Peggy mumbled under her breath. Steve got one ounce of courage and quickly said to her as he took a step forward “Come inside”

She looked to him, with her brows raised to him. Steve quickly bowed his head “Ma’am. I was just thinking how you don’t want to be stood out here in the cold”

Peggy smiled to him as he kept his head bowed for a moment before lifting it up and standing straight and tall. Peggy looked to Henry “Henry, would it be terribly inappropriate?”

“Ma’am?”

“If I were to wait in the hall, with this fine soldier whilst the car is to be fixed”

Henry found himself letting out an amused smile “Ma’am you’ve done many more obscure things in the past”

“Indeed” Peggy looked to him with a smirk, he would accompany her of course. But she always looked after herself. Peggy walked over to Steve, with a faint nervous smile still lingering on her face, she looked into his eyes and whisper “Most men would offer me their arm”

Steve jumped to realization and quickly put his arm out for her. His nervous nature was rather amusing to her, it was also very sweet. It had been a while since she had a man not be cocky or acting like a wise guy. That was because most of the men were friends with the royal family and thought they had a right to act in such a manner.

Peggy was a little apprehensive coming in here at first. Usually when she snuck away to a party it was still with people within their ‘circle’ but this time it was with men that she didn’t even know. Oddly enough to her though, she felt like she knew Steve, that she trusted him. And it was still very surprising as to how. But it was actually rather enjoyable. The men in this unit were respectful, a little rowdy too sure, but she could be rowdy at times.

Peggy stuck with Steve, which did not go unnoticed by anyone. They sat at a table.  _ Alone _ . Though it didn’t really feel like it, Steve looked up and said “Your friend likes to keep watch”

Peggy glanced and laughed breathless “It’s his job that’s all, I have gotten used to pretending that he isn’t there”

Steve nodded and looked down to his glass of beer “If...if you don’t mind me asking, ma’am-”

“You don’t have to call me ma’am. I do like being treated like a real person every so often”

“So...Margaret?”

“No” Peggy laughed, shaking her head “Margaret is my little cousin. Peggy is what I prefer to be called”

“Peggy” Steve nodded with a smile “S’a nice name”

“I always liked it” Peggy said with a light smile. She looked over and saw a young excited soldier looking over and making all sorts of gestures to encourage Steve into sticking beside her, she looked to Steve “A friend of yours?”

Steve felt himself go red from getting embarrassed, Bucky was showing him up. Steve scratched the back of his head and shook it “I err. That’s my best friend, Bucky”

“Hm. He seems...eager”

“He’s an idiot. Ignore him” Steve said with a stifled nervous laugh still in his tone.

“I shall do my hardest” Peggy whispered as she looked back to him, gazing intently into his eyes.  Peggy rubbed her lips together and said “May I ask something from you?”

“You can ask me anything”

“Ask me something real, something about my life” Peggy said, drawing a circle on the table with her fingertip. She was wanted to be treated like an actual human being, and having conversations with actual human beings involves asking real questions in order to know someone, Steve looked at her. Pretty surprised and then thought for a moment “O-Okay...do you enjoy it? Things like this?”

“It has it’s perks. There’s a lot of pressure put down onto me, especially with being one of the eldest girls in our family and having my younger cousin being married whilst I remain... _ not _ ...but doing jobs as you say such as this certainly as it’s benefits”

“Like?”

Peggy shrugged “Tonight, would be meeting you”

Steve once again found himself blushing. He looked down at her hand that suddenly stopped rotating around on the table and have it was beside his, their pinky fingers touching gently. He looked up to her and saw her smile, she knew what she was doing. Still gazing at him, she said slowly and soothingly “To be honest, I just want someone to really look at me and see the real me, I can only count a few people who can do that and they are my family...it’s different with family...I want someone...completely out of my world. To see me as me”

Steve looked to her mouth, back to her eyes. Giving her his full attention and whispered “I see you”

Peggy faintly smiled and slowly nodded “You do…”

She could kiss him, right here right now. With her back turned, her assistant came up to her and cleared his throat “Ma’am. The car has been fixed. We’re ready to take you to go home”

A hour and a half ago, she was dying to leave. Now she wanted nothing but to stay. With him. Peggy looked from Henry back to Steve and frowned. She gently bit down on her bottom lip as she sighed and shook her head “I suppose this is it”

“Guess so…"

"A shame, I was looking forward for you to getting to know me better, and I you"

Steve gulped and shrugged to her "What if I take something out of the car? Would I get in trouble for that?”

“I’m afraid so” Peggy said in a light laugh.

Peggy asked Steve if he would walk her out, despite Henry not really liking the idea of it all. Steve stood at the car as Henry opened the door for Peggy, he sighed and shrugged “Well. I can cross spending the night with a Princess off of my bucket list”

“I’m glad I could be of service to you”

Steve smiled to her, doing the noble thing. He took her hand. Which she expected him to do. He kissed her hand, also expecting him to do, when he pulled his hand away she gripped onto it for a moment and subtly slipped him something that she wrote earlier. Confused at first, he looked up to her. She smiled and whispered “Goodbye,  _ Steve _ ”

He watched her get in the car and took a step back as Henry closed the door, shook Steve’s hand and then also got in the car. He watched the car take her away, and then he looked down to what she slipped him.

It was an address, and at the bottom. She put,

_ Write to me x _


	2. Chapter 2

She loved him. She knew from the first time she saw him that she loved him but now she  _ really  _ knew. Steve had wrote to her for nearly four months now, and she had wrote back every time. Keeping it as secret as possible. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet that she was in love. It wasn’t that she was scared what people thought, there was just so much happening that there wasn’t time to even get anyone to stop. 

She hadn’t even told Elizabeth and they share everything with each other.

Peggy was in her commons of the palace, reading her latest letter from Steve. Giggling away at it from the ridiculous things he had gotten himself up to. He was now part of a tact team in the army, with Bucky and a group of men who for some reason liked to call themselves the Howling Commandos, and they were all idiots who gotten themselves in sticky situations.

Not too dangerous of course, else she wouldn’t be laughing. 

There was a knock on the door, before she had the chance to call them in. Elizabeth just opened the door, Peggy looked up and moved her feet up from the sofa as her cousin made her way quickly over to her and sat down. Peggy closed the letter and buried it under the pillow behind her. She sat up properly, keeping her eyes on Elizabeth, she asked “What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth had her hands on her stomach, looking down for a moment, she then looked to Peggy and said nothing. Her eyes just said it all. Peggy glanced to her stomach, then back to her eyes and said “You’re pregnant?”

Elizabeth let out a breathless smile and nodded. Peggy’s eyes lit up “You’re pregnant!” she pulled Elizabeth close and hugged her. Both of them letting out excited laughs. Peggy pulled back after a moment and put her hand on her cousin’s cheek “Oh, Lilibet. You’re so young”

“Please say you’re happy for me”

“Of course I’m happy for you! I say you are young but that doesn’t mean that you and Philip aren’t ready” Peggy pressed her lips against Elizabeth’s cheek and asked “How did Philip take it?”

“He said nothing for a while, he was just smiling. Then he kissed me and said how wonderful it was”

“It is wonderful...have you told Uncle?”

“Only you and Philip know at the moment. I-we, Philip and I shall tell the rest later on this evening” Elizabeth smiled to her, then sighing and said “That was fairly easy, now that my news is out of the way what is yours?”

“Pardon?”

“The letter, Peggy, I’m not stupid I saw you stuffing it behind you, what is it?”  

Peggy shrugged it off as nothing, but you don’t hide a letter if it’s nothing. Elizabeth raised her brows to her and said “I will go back there and retrieve it myself” she leaned forward, the pair turned into children again as Peggy tried to hold her back and leaned further against the pillow, Peggy then said “Not in your newly founded condition should you be doing this”

“Well, save my unborn child the exhaustion and tell me...we tell each other everything”

“I know we do”

“Then why is it you want to keep this from me?”

Peggy stared at her for a moment and sighed “Because I am apprehensive on what your reaction might be”

“You won’t know until you tell me what it is”

Peggy bit her lip and sighed once more, she sat up properly once again and took out the letter from the pillow. With hesitation at first, she gave in and handed her the letter. Elizabeth took hold of it and unfolded to read. Well, she knew it was a love letter. That was not subtle at all, to be fair, it was only meant for Peggy’s eyes. Elizabeth looked up to her when done and asked “So, who is Steve?”

“He’s a solider, from America”

“Oh Peggy” Elizabeth sighed as she looked back down to the letter, then hearing Peggy say “I know, I know”

“Our family doesn’t do so well with Americans. Not after what Uncle Edward did to my father, did to  _ me _ ”

“That cannot be something to put the blame on every American we know. I was sent over there to bloody well thank them”

“Well you certainly did that” she muttered, looking back down at the paper.

“Elizabeth!”

Elizabeth looked back up and sighed “I'm sorry...it isn't what I think you know that. But…”

“But?”

“But we both know that this doesn't work. Not in this case anyway”

Peggy rested her arms on her legs and sighed, she closed her eyes and mumbled “I love him” 

“Truly?”

“Would I lie to you about that?” She said as she looked back to her.

Elizabeth frowned and shook her head “No, of course, I know you wouldn’t. It just makes everything so much more complex”

Peggy looked down and rubbed her palms together “And what about Margaret?”

“What about Margaret?”

Peggy gave her a look as if to say that what she just said was stupid “She is in  _ some _ kind of relationship with Peter Townsend. I’m not blind and neither are you...but it’s alright. It acceptable because he’s on good money and a highly ranked war hero. Which defies all of the downfalls with him being twice her age and married-”

“You know that isn’t how I think. I am not saying that if there is anything going on between the two of them that I approve, but it isn’t my opinion that matters on either situation” Elizabeth gripped onto Peggy’s hand and kept her eyes locked on “Peggy I want you to be happy more than anything, you know that, you’re more than a cousin you are like my sister. We have been best friends my whole life. It is not me that has made the rules which makes what you have entered a dead end it’s...it’s past government and past relatives that have ruled this country that have made these arguments so sacred to us today”

“Because he’s poor-”

“Because” she sighed, knowing she was going to have to be terribly blunt “Yes. He’s poor. He has no relations to our  _ lifestyle  _ and...like I said before he’s American. Which our family does not favour in”

“So what do you suggest that I do? Stop writing?...would you have stopped writing to Philip if I had suggested it”

Elizabeth stared at her, slightly stuck on words “I-I honestly don’t know...it’s-”

“Different. I know” Peggy took a heavily gulp from the lump in her throat and felt a tear run down her cheek, which caused Elizabeth to squeeze on her hand tighter and say “Oh Peggy, I’m so sorry”

“I’ll take care of it” Peggy whispered, wiping her tears with her free hand and forcing on a smile and a nod to Elizabeth as she looked to her “I will, don’t worry”

“I always worry about you”

“And I you” Peggy said as she rubbed her hand with her thumb “But right now, what we shall focus on. Is celebrating your news”

“Peggy we don’t have-”

“Elizabeth. Please” it was a plea for this conversation to end more than anything. Which was made clear by the tone in her voice as she said that sentence and broken smile. Elizabeth looked to her and then put one on herself, nodding and agreeing to go and enjoy the day and the news. But still, she worried.

* * *

Steve was sleeping in his bunker that was fitted in their truck as they moved across country on another tact mission. 

“Mail just landed” Bucky called as he stepped into it, the truck then on the move. He flicked through them “Let’s see...Timothy Dugan” he tossed it to him without looking “Pinkerton. Got another from the boyfriend” he teased as he tossed it to him, getting a few laughs out of the others. Pinkerton said the guy who writes was just a friend. The other disagreed but if it wanted to keep it silent then that was his choice.

“And look what we have here. Steve Rogers” 

Steve’s head snapped up as Bucky smirked and said “Another letter from the Princess gentlemen! Should we see if she put in anything filthy?”

Steve jumped up and snatched it out of Bucky’s hand as he left him to laugh. Steve shook his head with an amused smirk and sat himself down. He tore open the envelope and began to read. Soon wishing he hadn’t.

_ My Dearest Steve, _

_ Before I say what I need to say, just know this. Writing this letter is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. And I have been through many things as you have learnt over these past four fantastic months we’ve had being in each others thoughts and hearts. _

_ But now that must end. _

_ I am a fool. This is all my fault. I was a fool in thinking that this would be accepted in my world, today I realised that it won’t be and may never be. I can’t bring you into this life because I fear you will end up being filled with regret and resentment after the way I know you will be treated. You are the first man I have ever loved. Please, please remember that. I may never love another, or if I do. Which I can’t imagine right now I do know that I will never feel the love that I have felt for you ever again. I wish I could be in a different life so I could be with you. But that will never happen, I am who I am. I have to think of my family. They’ve been hurt before by something like this in the past and I darent do it again. _

_ I hope you find someone to love. Love more than me. Find her Steve and do not let go of her. Believe me, you’re life will be much easier with a normal woman. Your life will be happier I can feel it. One day, I hope you look back at this time and cherish what we had, and thank me for saving the tragedy that would have entailed if this went on any further. _

_ This is painful. This has killed me. My heart is broken by having to do this. But this too shall pass. I can only hope that you will forgive me and understand. Please, don’t write back to me. I don’t think I could take it. _

_ I will never forget you, nor will I ever stop loving you. _

_ I am yours. Steven Grant Rogers. Forever. In your heart. _

_ Always, _

_ Peggy x _

He stared at it for a moment longer, feeling that if he did. The words would change to something else to show that he was imaging this. Or if he looked up and saw a mythical creature he’d know he was dreaming. But none of those things happened. This was real. This was happening and he couldn’t stop it. He had to respect her wishes and not respond to her, though he was dying to. Steve lowered the letter in his hands and leaned back against the wall of the truck, staring at a spot on the floor. Just thinking about the first and last night they were together. These months that they had written to each other and fallen deeper in love by the exchange of it all were the best of his life. It wasn’t because he was writing to a princess. It was because he was writing to an amazing woman who genuinely loved him. But deep down he understood, he always had a fear that her life and title would get in the way. He just hoped he could have flown over there to try and persuade her family to see reason.

“So what sweet nothings has she put this week?” Bucky laughed, slapping his hand on Steve’s arm as he sat down beside him, then seeing the look on his face. He grew worried “Steve. You okay?”

Steve slowly snapped back reality, halfway at least and managed to mumbled out “It’s over”

Bucky stared at him in silence for a moment “What? The hell you mean it’s over?”

“I mean it’s over” Steve said sharply “It’s done. Me and her are finished. She ended it” he folded up the letter and stuffed it in his bag that was filled with all the others. Bucky watched him do so and asked once he sat back “Why?”

“I knew this would happen. I even had a nightmare this would happen even”

“Steve. Why?”

“Her family...she’s royalty Buck, who the hell was I kiddin? Who were we kidding thinking that this would alright? Imagine her bringing me into the damn palace, I don’t have a dime to my name, no real stable home-”

“You were in the war-”

“Yeah and so were thousands of other men. A lot of guys who just signed up because they wanted to shoot up a load of guys. I’m nobody special. I did my time there, I lived. But I didn’t do anything that made me someone to go down in history. I’ve gone back to who I was before. A poor guy with no parents and no one to remember me if I end up dead” he sighed and looked away “I’m not enough for her”

“She loves you. That’s enough”

“In a normal situation yeah. But this ain’t normal, Buck, come on. You’re telling me you didn’t think it’d go belly up? Me planning a future with a Princess? Her Uncle is the King of England for Christ sake. She lives with them all, it’s not as if she’s been pushed to the side and they don’t give a damn, she’s treated as his own daughter”

Bucky bowed his head “I don’t know what else to say. Other than I’m sorry”

Steve took in a deep breath, his eyes beginning to prickle from the tears forming in his eyes “Yeah...I’m sorry too”

* * *

_ 4 years later.  _

“I can’t believe I am playing the nanny whilst you two set off to sunny Africa” Peggy said, putting her hands on her hips and following to the front where a car was waiting for them to take them to the airport.

“We will be back before you know it” Elizabeth said, slipping her hand out of Philip’s as he carried on walking.

Peggy raised her brows to her and then pointed at her “Do not think about extending your trip”

“We also have to do speeches whilst we’re there, you know?”

“Poor little princess”

Elizabeth muttered a laugh and couldn’t hide a part of her excitement “It does sound thrilling though, doesn’t it?”

“Yes it does”

“We would love to take Charles and Anne but there’ll be too much travel”

“I understood, don’t worry, we’ll all take good care of them. Also it will be rather romantic”

“I do hope so” Elizabeth nodded with a smile. They carried on walking and Peggy watched them get in the car and waved them off. Now she had to find Margaret who was no doubt being a bad influence for those children. Peggy past her Uncle office. Hearing him cough tremendously. She worried about him with that cough, it sounded nasty and  _ painful _ . But when asking him if he was unwell, he said it will pass.

But this has been happening for a long time now. Still, she trusted his judgement. He has hardly ever been wrong before. And ever since he had surgery he said that over time it should improve. She just didn’t want to lose him like she did her father.

Everyday she thought about Steve. He was always in her thoughts and still in her heart. With time it had gotten a little easier. But not being able to love someone again gave repercussions from her family. Her grandmother was annoyed, but the rest of her family were now worried about her. Elizabeth especially, since she knew what had happened, she was worried that Peggy was going to shut herself off for too long it would be too late for her to have a family. But Peggy still stuck to her gumptions on not marrying for a title. It was just unfortunate that she hadn’t met a man since Steve who took her heart, perhaps because he still had it.

Margaret’s affair with Peter however was still ongoing. He was now separated from his wife, which didn’t help her situation at all. A Princess involved with a divorcee is almost as absurd as a Princess involved with a poor american. She walked into one of the living rooms where she found Margaret playing with Charles and Anne. Peggy was godmother to Charles, and Margaret to Anne. 

“Aunt Peggy!” Charles jumped up and ran into her arms. Peggy lifted him up and balanced him on her hip, pretending to be winded “You’re getting heavy”

“I’m only four!”

“Exactly” Peggy laughed. Putting him down after a moment and letting him run back over and play with Anne. Seeing Margaret on the sofa with a cigarette in her hand, as per usual. Peggy walked over and sat beside her “I always get the feeling that those things aren’t good for you”

“Well, it’s too late to stop now” Margaret said, looking to Peggy with a smirk as she took the cigarette into her mouth once more.

Peggy shook her head, looking to the fire in front of them “You’re a rummen, Margaret”

“Also too late to stop now”

Peggy laughed and then sunk back into the sofa. Margaret glanced over to Charles and Anne, then said as she looked back to the fire “They’ve gone then?”

“Just now”

“So openly in love” Margaret scoffed, then adding in a mutter as she took her cigarette back  to her mouth “Lucky”

“About being in love? Or being able to be in love openly?” Peggy questioned. Margaret looked to her and rolled her eyes “You know very well what I mean”

Peggy silently smirked and looked to a spot on the floor, she was only teasing after all “You should just count yourself lucky you have someone to actually love. Open or secret”   

“If you gave some of the men that mummy and papa suggested to you then-”

“Do you remember what you said to Elizabeth and I when we confronted you about Peter? You said that the men that Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Al thought you were to be interested in were just boys and Peter was a  _ man _ . Well, much like you, I don’t want just a little rich boy. I want a decent man”

Margaret propped herself up more on the sofa and shuffled on her side to look at her, with a genuine shock and surprise “You’ve really  _ never  _ loved a decent man?”

Peggy stared at her for a moment, she wanted to tell her the truth. She felt guilty for not, as close as she was to Elizabeth. She was still close to Margaret and even understood her better through her vulnerabilities. She also knows what it is to love someone who on paper, you shouldn’t. Steve was so long ago but it still stings, she almost felt like a fool for loving someone she only met one night and had an exchange of letters. But it was real, all of it. 

Peggy looked away and muttered and decided to admit “A few years ago I did”

“Really?”

Peggy nodded “After Elizabeth and Philip’s wedding I...was flown over to America and I met someone. We exchanged letters for almost four months and” she shrugged “Fell in love”

“He was a soldier?”

“An American soldier. Which...wouldn’t have been accepted into this life...so I put a stop to it before things got harder than they already were for me”

Margaret stared at her, shocked “How did I not know of this?”

“Well no one knew, Elizabeth only found out because she walked in on me reading one of his letters and...it was too hard to discuss afterwards” 

“Elizabeth knew?”

“I swore her to secrecy, and you know how well she is at keep a secret” Peggy raised a brow to her. Margaret finally cracked a small smirk and rolled her eyes “Indeed she is...I do wish you had of told me”

“I know, I’m sorry, Margaret love. It’s” Peggy put her hand over her heart and whispered “It’s just hard”

Margaret frowned and took hold of her hand, Peggy then saw the worry grow on her face and she knew what it was about “Just because my little romance failed. It does not mean yours will, I regret letting go. So I advice you not to do the same. You’ll only be filled with wonder on what if”

“Do you really believe that?”

Peggy smiled and rubbed her cousin’s hand “Go with your heart, Margaret. You’re not stupid, you know what you want”

Margaret smiled and whispered her thank you to her before they were both dragged back into playing with their godchildren.

* * *

More days past. Peggy heard from Elizabeth. Being let know just how much of a wonderful time they were having in the sun. She was jealous of course, but she was also happy for them. It was good for them to get away every so often, being a young married couple. In the long run they had only been married for a short time when thinking about it. And they were still so young, they needed some fun. Like she herself used to have when she was twenty five. 

Peggy was having a lie in for once. After last night, staying up late with the family. Watching Margaret and George sing together whilst Margaret played the piano and reminisced with Michael over the odd glass of wine. She was tired. So she wasn’t too pleased when she was woken up by all kinds of noises that was outside of her room. The palace servants were usually more considerate than this than to be making loads of fuss outside of the royals doors. She then came to a conclusion that there must be something going on. Peggy got up and grabbed her silk robe, wrapping it around her body as she walked to outside of her room.

What she saw was by far the strangest thing that she had seen. Absolute chaos, all the palace staff were running around like madmen and  _ crying _ . Why were they crying? Peggy walked down the halls and turned a corner, when she did. She saw Margaret standing there in the middle in her nightwear. Shaking like a leaf. Peggy rushed over to her, putting her hand on her back and as soon as she did. Margaret let herself slip by letting out a breath into a cry. Falling into Peggy’s arms.

“Margaret? What is it?”

Margaret cried and tried to gather her words. She shook her head and then sobbed “It’s Papa. H-He’s  _ gone _ ”

Peggy stared at her, suddenly frozen in shock. Her breath heavily dropped as she pulled Margaret in tight. Staring up to her Uncle’s room and hearing her Aunt’s heart wrenching cries come from it. She was completely stiff. The news fighting to sink in but she was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t move. Peggy let out a whimpered cry and flew her hand to the back of Margaret’s head and tightly cradled it. Peggy soon slammed her eyes shut as she listened to her cousin’s cries and soon buried her head in Margaret’s shoulders and wrapped her arm even more tighter around her back to hold her up.

It was too soon. He was too young. Now, she had lost two fathers.

Peggy then had another thought hit her that made her stomach drop.

Elizabeth was going to have to say goodbye to this life. Because now. She is the Queen. 


	3. Chapter 3

The whole country was in mourning. Elizabeth was soon informed about the King's death. God, this will have crushed her. 

The palace was quiet. Absolute silence throughout for the next two days. Elizabeth returned to them in the afternoon, already dressed in black. Her face was expressionless. She didn’t want to cry in front of anyone, the go to expression she went to was to have none at all. Peggy, also dressed in black. Was with Margaret and her Aunt in utter silence as Elizabeth was in her father’s bedroom where he was dressed in his army uniform that he was to be buried in.

Peggy looked to Philip, who looked glum as ever. She took a step closer to him and whispered “Has she been like this throughout?”

Philip shook his head “No. We talked during our time in the air, it was when we hit our country’s ground that she completely shut off”

Peggy put her hand on Philip’s arm and turned her head as Elizabeth stepped back out to the them. Still with an empty look on her face. The three women, kissed her cheek and then bowed to her. They didn’t really have a choice, it was a formality now that she was Queen. Something none of them ever had to do before.

Elizabeth was sent off to speak to members of parliament, who would inform her on what was going to happen next. What was to happen for her next. Whilst she was off, Peggy returned back to her commons, putting on the television. There wasn’t a channel on the entire TV that wasn’t talking about her Uncle George. Eventually she just shut it off, there was nothing she needed to her. Peggy already knew everything she needed to know given that she was there when he passed. After she shut it off. She heard someone behind her, Peggy quickly turned to see Elizabeth standing in the middle of the room, her hands clutched together.

Her bottom lip began to wobble as she allowed herself to finally show her emotion now that was in private. Peggy sighed as she stood up straight from leaning against the back of the sofa, she stared at Elizabeth for a minute and then held her arms out as she whispered “Come here”

Elizabeth quickly made her way over to Peggy’s arms. Peggy wrapped her arms around her and listened as Elizabeth rested her head on Peggy’s shoulders and cried. Peggy closed her eyes and rubbed her cousins back, trying to calm her down by making light _ ‘shush’ _ noises. She could tell just how much Elizabeth wanted to just be really hugged and cry by someone in her family. With Peggy she wasn’t too apprehensive about it. She had a cry with Philip by her side, sure, but she needed to see someone who grew up with George as well as she did.

“I’m so sorry, Lilibet” Peggy whispered in a cry of her own.

“I thought he was getting better”

“We all did” Peggy said as she stroked her hair, then to pull back and look to her. Elizabeth took in a deep breath with her eyes closed and shook her head “I imagined that I would have been well into my forties before this came about. I thought my children would be grown I...I can’t do this”

“Elizabeth” Peggy gripped onto her arms and looked her right in the eyes “You  _ can  _ do this”

“Do you honestly think that?”

“You are more than fit to rule this country. Uncle Al has been preparing you for this ever since Edward abdicated. This may have come twenty years earlier than any of us expect but you can do this. And you will, with great pride and dignity. Just like him”

“And Philip. How do you expect he will manage this whole ordeal? We were planning to go back to Malta, let him continue in the navy, that dream is now shattered and he-”

“Philip is a good man who loves and respects you so much, he’s never going to leave your side. You two are in this together. He will be fine, trust me”

Elizabeth took another deep breath as Peggy quickly wiped away the tear that ran down her cheek, taking in a deep breath of her own as she heard Elizabeth mumble “Everything is going to be very different now”

“I’m afraid so... _ my queen _ ...but now, we shall just focus on one thing. Saying goodbye”

Elizabeth nodded, looking down at their linked hands. She gulped heavily. Realising that now queen, she can’t go around hold her older cousin’s hand when feeling nervous or uncertain. She was going to have go beyond her years. And to act like she isn’t afraid whatsoever, and Peggy had to do the same. Because although she believed everything she said to her. She was still scared that it will all be too much for Elizabeth.

* * *

More days past. And Elizabeth was the lead in George’s funeral, to now being head of the family, she was to handle practically everything. But of course they helped, the whole family tried to help whenever they could. 

Whilst Elizabeth was handling all of the political and royal duties. Philip was at Clarence House, their newly claimed home. Trying to fix it up as best as possible. He wanted to make Elizabeth grow a smile on her face and hopefully this would do the trick. Days away from the funeral, they were joined by Edward. George’s brother and the Uncle who ultimately landed Elizabeth in this situation. Peggy couldn’t blame him for falling in love, but she did blame him by the way he did it. The way he completely cut off the family and left George in the mud, especially with his stammer, he had such a trouble to speak publically. Perhaps she also blamed him, if it weren't for him. Perhaps she would be married to Steve right now.

But she can’t say that she had a right to love and he didn’t, though if she was in his situation. She wouldn’t have sacrificed her family like he did.

The funeral director suggested to Elizabeth, her mother and grandmother that there’d be soldiers who fought in the war present to the funeral. Not a bucket load, but a fair few. To pay a level of respect. The three of them thought of it as a nice idea. So Tommy, Georges and now Elizabeth’s advisor got straight onto it. In the meantime. Elizabeth was to have her first meeting with the Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Philip and Peggy waited around, playing with Charles who was roaming around the place in his car. Anne was quietly reading her books on the sofa. Peggy looked away from Charles to Philip, who had his back against the wall and a face that didn’t read to be too happy. Peggy’s eyebrows pinched together “What’s wrong with you?”

Philip looked to the door that Elizabeth was on the other side of and muttered “I feel like I am being shut out”

“Oh Philip”

“No. No  _ ‘Oh Philip’ _ . You know she’s been distant also”

“Her father is dead” Peggy answered him back in a strained whisper.

“He was like your father too and I don’t see you pushing me away”

“You are not my husband” Peggy said with a small smile to ease the situation “And also he may have been  _ like _ a father to me but he  _ was _ still her father. And when he died, it wasn’t me who had all of this... _ shite _ put on me it was her. She’s trying to handle it all and she can’t have you saying things like that to her, not now”

“So what is it that you suggest I do?” Philip asked her.

“To stay patient. Be patient with  _ her _ . With the situation, this is all very raw. Just play the loving husband role, you play it quite splendidly”

Philip gave her a smile to show his gratitude. He needed that, he needed someone to bite back at the thoughts in his head. It would stop him from saying something to Elizabeth which would end up in her getting upset or angry. Or both. 

The doors opened soon enough, Elizabeth walked out, being handed her coat. Looking exhausted through it all. She looked to Peggy and waved her to follow “Come on, you, we’ve got to have the sit down with Uncle Edward now”

“Now?”

“Now”

Peggy groaned under her breath and glanced to Philip. Who followed them out, asking Elizabeth all sorts of questions that she didn’t exactly answer, the last thing she said to him was about her coronation being delayed and then her drive drove away before explaining. Peggy looked back to him through the back mirror of the car and sighed as she looked straight ahead “Don’t lock him out, Elizabeth”

Elizabeth looked to her “Why? Has he said something?”

“No” she fibbed“But the look on his face says it all. You tell Philip everything, he’s your other half. Don’t shut him out, not now nor ever” she looked out the window and muttered “I made that mistake”

“Not him again” Elizabeth sighed “I thought you were alright now, after all these years”

“I am. But it doesn’t mean I don’t regret what I did”

Elizabeth patted her hand “You did the honorable thing by putting your family first. Unlike our dearest Uncle”

“Should we get James to drive us somewhere else?”

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head “We can’t, Peggy”

“Pity”

* * *

After the god awful awkwardness that was their little meeting with Edward. He left them with a room full of silence. As Peggy remained seat, Elizabeth came over and sat on one side of her as Margaret remained on the other. They could hear their mother and aunt quietly crying.

“Why can’t you just be civil to him, mummy?”

“Margaret” Peggy whispered under her breath, she shook her head to her in request to not push further, but Margaret wasn’t one to bite her tongue. Which she couldn’t get mad at, because she was the same. Margaret ignored her request and looked back to her mother “Let bigons be bigons. Sixteen years since the abdication and he was close to papa”

“Because the man is a monster. The responsibility of being king killed your father and I will never forgive his selfishness and weakness in passing on the burden” she then looked to Peggy and said “And if your father or even your mother were here they would agree with me also”

Peggy sighed but she said nothing, she wasn’t going to talk back. Not when her Aunt was in such a frustrated state. She sat down to face them all “He has done nothing for this family. And don’t be fooled by obsequiousness. The only reason he is even civil to us is because he wants to leech us all off a rich allowance for that... _ american _ of his and the mannered of which he’s become accustomed”

Peggy felt Elizabeth look to her. It still stood that their elders in their family still couldn’t stand an american being involved in the family because of what happened with George and Edward. Her Aunt Elizabeth then sighed and rubbed her forehead “Let’s not get ourselves in a mess, not before what we are about to go to”

* * *

They were preparing themselves to go to Westminster hall. To pay respects to George’s body. It allowed people of the country to do so aswell. Since the funeral will be very closed up and heavily guarded. It was a formality thing to do before the actual funeral.

It was a surreal moment for them all, seeing his coffin for the first time. It left them having the catch their breath as their realisation hit all the more. So much so that when they returned, and Elizabeth went to her study alongside Peggy whom she asked to join her. For the first time between them it was rather silent. Until Martin, a second man to Tommy’s position, came in. Bowed to them both “Your majesties” he cleared his throat and said “The soldiers who have been picked to march for your father and uncles funeral are here”

Elizabeth stood whilst Peggy remained seated, Elizabeth turned to her and said “Do come with me, Peggy, I hate doing this funeral arrangement on my own. It feels lonely”

Peggy looked to Martin for a moment, knowing he’d prefer her not to. Elizabeth was the Queen now, there are things they wanted just her for. But with Elizabeth asking her, she wasn’t going to refuse. They were attached at the hip. Peggy gave her a small smile and nodded as she stood up beside her. Walking down the halls together, remaining quiet, they couldn’t exactly chat like they do in private in front of the place staff and Martin.

Martin opened the doors and announced the two of them to the picked soldiers “Her royal majesty the Queen and her royal highness Princess Margaret”

Peggy hated that.  _ Margaret _ . It made it sound like she was her cousin Margaret. Why must royal names all be the same. Elizabeth has the same name as her mother for god sakes and that was always confusing when they were children, adding two Margaret’s into the mix and it was utter chaos. But Peggy just went with it and as always, smiled.

She looked at the soldier from the end left, one by one. Then when she reached the very end, she saw him. After four long years, there he stood straight and tall, looking at her. But trying not to make it too obvious, he didn’t know if he would get her into some kind of trouble. But Elizabeth saw, boy, she wasn’t stupid. Elizabeth looked to Peggy when seeing how Steve was staring at her, seeing the look on her face, she knew. Elizabeth looked back to straight in front of her and sighed under her breath “Oh dear”

Peggy remained silent and kept herself posed. The pair of them went down a line, thanked them each for what they were doing. Steve was nervous when Elizabeth came to him, not knowing whether the Queen of England wanted him dead. He didn’t know if he was made to be the guy who broke her cousin’s heart. But Peggy wasn’t like that, she would never portray him like that. Elizabeth made no standing out expression to him, she remained neutral like she was with the rest of the soldiers. Then when Peggy came up to him, both of their breaths got caught in their throat. Steve kissed her hand and looked up to her. Wanting to say something but there was no time, Peggy quickly took her hand out of his and walked away. Keeping her head down.

Soon, after a small briefing. The soldiers were dismissed and sent back to their posts and also to have to  _ rehearse  _ for the funeral. Steve was behind them all, Elizabeth held her hand to him “I would like you to stay, for a moment”

Steve looked over her shoulder to Peggy, then back to Elizabeth and just sheepishly nodded. Elizabeth placed her hand back over her other and nodded, she turned and looked to Peggy as she walked to the door “You as well”

“What in gods name are you doing?” Peggy whispered.

Elizabeth stopped for a moment and said simply “Helping”

“Lilibet” Peggy whispered in a more stern voice, pleading for her not to leave her alone. She didn’t know how to act. But Elizabeth just shot her a smirk and told the guards to close the doors behind her and leave the two of them be. Peggy looked to the door for a moment and remained silent, she didn’t want to turn around and look at him, she didn’t know what she would say. If she would cry or just stay frozen. Eventually, she did turn and she looked at him.

Steve too didn’t know what to do or say. Peggy took a deep breath, she then just gave in and ran into his arms. Steve instantly wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and lightly picked her up from the ground, Peggy buried her face in the crook of her shoulder “I thought I’d never see you again”

“Same here” Steve mumbled, kissing her cheek. The first kiss he had ever given her that wasn’t the back of her hand. Peggy felt the need to explain herself “I thought I was doing the right thing”

“I know”

“I didn’t want to say goodbye to you. But...for my family I-”

“Peggy” Steve whispered to stop her rambling, putting his hand on her cheek and looking into her eyes, giving her a soft yet heartbreaking smile and saying in a still whisper “ _ I know _ ”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I never blamed you for what happened”

Peggy grew a small smile of relief. She had spent these four years thinking that Steve will be somewhere in the world despising her. But knowing that he was understanding and  _ okay _ . It made her suddenly feel slightly better about all of this. Peggy looked at him up and down, with her hands on his chest, she looked back to his eyes “How are you here? Doing this?”

“Well. The boys and I were over here doing some work with your army. It was just in the right place at the right time, when they were asking for volunteers in regards to your Uncle’s funeral I took a shot. They thought it was a good idea being American and all, the whole ally thing...and if it was even a shot in seeing you again then I was going to take it” he stroked her cheek with his thumb “I know that. We just had four months. Four months of exchanging letters. But they were the best of my life, it wasn’t because I was writing to a Princess it was because I was writing to this amazing woman and I loved you when I first saw you...it was like something out a book” he laughed “But I felt it”

“I felt it too” Peggy whispered “I did. Which is why I have spent four years alone. Because I couldn’t think of anyone else but you”

“Do you still love me?”

Peggy took a breath as her eyes filled up and then nodded to him, breaking out a watery smile “I do. And it’s been killing me not being able to admit that for all these years”

Steve pressed his forehead against hers and sighed “Is there no way-”

“Nothing has changed”

Steve sighed, he rubbed his lips together, closed his eyes and whispered “But I love you”

Peggy’s lip began to wobble, she put her hand on his cheek, their lips almost touching. With hesitation at first, Peggy then brought him closer and pressed her lips to his. The first time their lips had ever touched. Peggy kept her hands cupping his cheeks as he held onto her waist. After a moment, Peggy dragged her lips off of his and sighed “I shouldn’t have done that”

“Yes you should’ve” Steve whispered, giving her another gentle kiss. Peggy gripped onto his jacket and then shook her head. Pulling away again, she put her hand over her mouth as she turned away from him and took a breath “You are here to fulfill a duty in honor of my late Uncle and then you leave-”

“I will stay if you ask” Steve said, he sighed and shrugged as he shook his head “I’m yours, Peggy. For as long as you want me I’ll be yours”

Peggy scratched her forehead and laughed breathlessly “You aren’t making my decision exactly easy” she turned back around and looked to him, she rubbed her lips together and shook her head, with a cracked voice “I’m sorry, Steve. But I can’t. To save both of our hearts from breaking even more. We need to let this be...but please, stay with the march for the funeral. It would mean a lot to me”

“Please...think about this. Not right now, there’s no real rush. I’m here to the day after the funeral. Then I fly back out”

She sighed and turned to him “Steve-”

“That’s all I ask from you” Steve said with a plea in his weak voice. Peggy stared at him, she couldn’t find it in her heart to say no, and perhaps she did need to think about things. But right now, she couldn’t be alone in a room with a soldier for too long. Peggy sighed took a moment and then nodded to him.

“I have to go. I have a funeral to contribute to and you have to go and get your orders” Peggy knocked on the doors that were soon opened, she looked at him over her shoulder and said in a quiet tone “I’ll see you soon”

Steve said nothing, he just watched her walk down the hall and then had someone escort him out to the rest of the soldier’s post.

Peggy practically burst back into Elizabeth’s study, which made her jump a little. Elizabeth groaned a sigh as she looked up from her documents “Well. There was no need for that”

“And there was no need for you to leave me alone with him” Peggy said sternly as she walked further into her study. Elizabeth dropped her pen and sighed “I thought I was doing you a favor...you haven’t seen the man in four years and quite frankly he is the reason that you…”

“What? Haven’t married?”

Elizabeth looked away from her for a brief moment before saying “That’s not what I meant”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me what you meant” Peggy said in an exhausted tone as she rested her hands on the other side of her desk. Elizabeth looked back to her and shrugged “I didn’t mean marry, I just meant...loved”

“For a very valid reason” Peggy muttered as she looked down to her hand. Feeling Elizabeth’s eyes staying on her, she eventually looked up when she asked her “What happened in there?”

Peggy just looked to her, getting the message loud and clear. Elizabeth raised her brows to her, causing Peggy to roll her eyes “Oh Elizabeth what did you think about going to happen?”

“I suppose I should just blame myself”

“Yes you should” Peggy said with a small smile, she rubbed her lips together and said in a more quiet voice, as if she had to keep quiet “He wants me to take a second chance”

“Does he indeed?”

“He’s told me he still loves me, wants me to think about things before I say no”

Elizabeth linked her hands together and kept her eyes to her “Are you? Going to say no?”

“I don’t know” Peggy sighed, sitting down on the chair that was beside her and resting her head in her hand, looking to Elizabeth again and asking “What do you think?”

“Me?”

“Yes you. And I am asking you as my cousin and best friend. Not as my Queen”

“I have always spoke to you as that, never your Queen. I spoke to you as your cousin and best friend the first time Steve came into your life”  

“And you advised I walk away from him. Does it still stand now?”

It was silent between the two of them for a moment, with Elizabeth looking at her with a soft expression on her face, to then do the surprising movement by slowly shaking her head and then saying “No”

Peggy raised her brows through nothing but sheer surprise. She would have expected her to say that she did still stand by her word with her _ ‘I’m sorry I’m saying this’  _ look, but no. It was the complete opposite.  Peggy sat up in her chair properly and quietly cleared her throat “Pardon?”

“I don’t. Stand by what I said those years ago”

“But-”

“Peggy. I may sound like I am being hypocritical....because I couldn’t if it was Philip. But I truly thought that you would move on and meet someone else. But clearly you’ve not been able to, and I, as well as you, am a big believer in fate. Perhaps this is fate for you. Perhaps you aren’t supposed to move on”

“I wish I could have had this chat four years ago, it would have saved me years of heartbreak and misery”

“Has it honestly been that terrible for you?” Elizabeth asked with her heart dropping, hating the fact that she had been living her life to the fullest, happily married with children whilst Peggy has secretly been keeping it to herself that she was really so lonely. Peggy sighed and shrugged “I didn’t want to give you that burden”

“Nothing you do is a burden” Elizabeth took a breath and then added “It isn’t my choice, only you can make this decision, but just know that this time, Peggy...I encourage you to leap”

Peggy gave her a small smile as she thought even more. Elizabeth nodded to her and whispered “Just think about it”  

* * *

And she did, she really thought about it long and hard. All night long, so much so that she hardly got any sleep at all that night. Which led to her getting up late, which led to her grandmother being extra dismissive and judgmental. 

Come the funeral and she still hadn’t made a decision. Her head was still very much all over the place, her mind talking over her heart. But today wasn't the day for thinking about whether or not she was going to run into Steve’s arms and disappoint her whole family. Today was about letting go of the man that was like a second father to her.

Today was about nothing else but letting go and saying goodbye. Elizabeth was on the other side, at the lead. She had to be, she was the Queen after all. Philip was by her side, holding her hand for support. Peggy was where she was holding Margaret’s hand, she was so vulnerable. She was scared that Margaret would lose feeling in her feet and fall to the floor when seeing the carriage pulled up with the coffin. And she leaned on Peggy but kept herself composed as much as possible.

Peggy eyes then couldn’t help but fall to Steve as he walked out with the rest of the soldiers doing their march. Steve kept looking straight ahead, he was on duty and at the funeral of the King of England, he had to stay professional. It was his job. When everything came to a halt was when he quickly took a glance to her, she was crying. Her eyes still locked onto his for a moment, she seemed totally heartbroken by all of this and he wanted to just run over and hold her. But no, he couldn’t. Mostly because he didn’t know if she even wanting him to do that or not. He hadn’t gotten word ever since, so he takes it that it’s a no.

Thousands of people filled the streets to pay their respects. The streets were filled and blocked, trying to get close to get a glimpse of their recently departed King. After several prayers and hymns. It was all one big rush and then it was over.

Steve was ordered one way whilst Peggy went the complete opposite, looking at her for as long as possible till he could no more. They had a wake, but it was small, just close friends and family who George truly adored and held close. It was just in the room they usually go for drinks and to play the piano.

Peggy sat on the sofa, looking down to glass of wine that she had barely even touched.

“Well, that is unlike you” Michael said as he sat down beside her. Peggy looked to him and cleared her throat as she took the glass to her lips “Nothing like a funeral to bring family together”

“What’s wrong?” Michael sighed.

Peggy looked at him oddly “Our Uncle is dead. I was here when he died, I’ve been with Elizabeth and Margaret everyday helping with this funeral”

“I know” Michael slapped his hand in hers “And I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help but there’s something else on your mind. What is it?”

Peggy looked to him, wanting to tell him but she was still just scared. Nervous on what everyone would think, and tonight was not the night to do it. It would cause a stir to say the least, Peggy sighed and shook her head, finding another excuse that was under her skin “Honestly...I am just thinking about everything, this family. The way everything is going to change with Elizabeth now having to take on being the Queen of our country…”

“Hey. Nothing is going to divide the two of you”

“Hm” Peggy muttered under her breath “Philip is already nervous about how it is affecting her marriage”

“Philip overthinks things far too much” Michael said, giving her a small smile. He rubbed her hand and whispered “Don’t fill yourself up with worry, Gidget. Everything is going to be fine”

Peggy gave him a tight smile and patted his hand, she stood up and walked near the piano where Margaret was once again playing the piano. Playing George’s favorite song. Peggy folded her arms as she watched and smiled as a tear ran down her cheek. 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning. Peggy woke up and didn’t know what to do with herself, she felt like she was just pondering around. In conflict and misery on what to do. She wasn’t sure what time it was that Steve was leaving. Maybe he was already gone. Then she began to panic at the fact that he might already be gone. And she still was debating whether to go against what her family would want for her and be with the man she loves, or don’t losing her family and let Steve go live a normal life.

Either way she felt like she was being selfish.

Peggy was sat in the dining room, eating her breakfast alone when she heard someone creep up behind her “It’s not like you. Eating alone” Margaret sat as she sat down to the side of her as Peggy sat at the top of the table.  

Peggy remained silent for a moment as the butlers set out a plate for Margaret. Being left alone to eat their breakfast, Peggy sighed and looked to Margaret “He’s here”

“Who’s here?”

“The man I told you about before Uncle Al…”

Margaret’s eyes widened as she took a sip of her fresh orange juice. She gulped it down heavily and leaned forward “The american?”

“The very one”

“ _ Here _ ?”

“He...was one of the soldiers who marched for Uncle Bertie’s funeral”

Margaret stared at her, absolutely gobsmacked. After looking away for a brief moment, Peggy looked back to her cousin and sighed “I know. It was a shock to me too”

“Have you spoken to him?” Margaret asked with a gasp still at the back of her throat. Peggy took another breath and nodded “Yes, the day he had an audience with Elizabeth”

“Just him?”

“No...but...Elizabeth may have gotten us the chance to be alone for a few minutes, to talk...to explain myself”

“And?”

“He understood, he wasn’t angry he was just...wonderful...nothing had changed. He still loves me” Peggy gazed into space for a moment. Thinking of him. Thinking of that kiss. She came back down to earth when she heard Margaret ask eagerly “And then?”

“He asked me to give us a chance. A real one this time. No secrecy, or expressing how we love each other by words on paper. To be together”

“Well what did you say!” Margaret exclaimed. Getting more and more excited about this. One reason because Peggy would be really happy, the other that she may want a couple to go out with herself and Peter with Elizabeth and Philip. She’s always imagined the three of them sat around with their fellas. They all have.

“I told him that I had to think about it. But he leaves today and I...have yet to make a decision”

Margaret sat back in her chair, very much surprised “Peggy what on earth is there to think about? You must say yes”

“Must I? And what about my mother? Your mother? Michael, Granny-”

“Michael would be pleased for you, you know he just wants the best for you. And our mothers will be shocked at first but they will be okay once the news sinks in”

Peggy looked to Margaret with a weak smile and said as she raised a brow “And Granny?”

Margaret sighed “Granny will be angry, she will say things that are harsh...but she will learn to live with it” she reached over and squeezed Peggy’s hand, then saying in a gentle voice “Peggy, don’t worry about what others will think, I haven’t. Your eyes light up when talking about him, he can make you truly happy. Let him...what does Lilibet think?”

“This time, she thinks I should go to him”

Margaret smirked and joked “Well, if the Queen commands it”

Peggy let out a small fit of laughter along with Margaret who asked once they settled “When does he leave?”

Peggy shrugged and then went to say something, when she was already beaten to it as Elizabeth came into the room and answered the question for her “An hour”

Peggy looked to her at the end of the table with a shocked look on her face as Elizabeth slowly walked towards her “An  _ hour _ !”

Elizabeth just nodded to her.

“Who told you that?”

“Philip. Earlier this morning, he said ‘the yank soldier is leaving to rejoin his tact team’ and he is leaving in an hour” she said as she sat down beside Peggy and opposite Margaret who shot her a self inflicted amused smirk “Is that the context of yours and Philip’s pillow talk?”

Elizabeth shot her a scowl as her younger sister laughed whilst Peggy let out a subtle amused smirk, bowing her head and then quickly looking to Elizabeth with a sudden rush of worry “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Elizabeth wasn’t sure whether to feel wounded at her cousin’s doubt in her or not “Of course I didn’t. Though I don’t like keeping secrets from him, but I know how important it is to you...although...I didn’t have to. Philip mentioned that he noticed him staring at you at the funeral”

Margaret shrugged “The soldiers stare at her all the time. So does the rest of the bloody country” she glanced to Peggy who once again looked down and got lost in thought, rubbing her thumb against her finger as she pondered.

“Quite. Evidently it was a more  _ intimate  _ look” both women took their eyes to Peggy, who was still looking down, rubbing her hand. She felt their eyes on her, slowly she lifted her head and silently sighed as she looked to Elizabeth. Both just looking at each other in silence. Elizabeth gave her a warm expression before saying to her in a quiet, caring voice “An hour, Peggy”

Peggy stared at her a moment longer, with the ticking from the grandfather clock feeling like it was getting louder and louder. She dropped her hand down from beside her cheek and stood up, walking out without saying anything, Mostly because she didn’t know what to say.

Peggy put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath as she got to her commons. Closing her eyes and just thinking back to the advice she had from a certain someone.

_ “I want you to promise me something” Her Uncle and the King of England said to her as he sat down beside her whilst Philip ran around with the kiddies. Peggy looked to him and slapped her hand on his leg for a brief moment “Anything for you” _

_ George looked at her and smiled with his eyes glazed over. He looked at her like a daughter and bless her heart, she too had no idea that he was dying, which was the main motivation for him having this talk with her, he took hold of her hand. Which surprised her. Cupping it with both of his hands, he lightly shook it as he said “Find love. And never let go of it” _

_ “Oh Uncle, are you wanting me to marry too?” _

_ George laughed “Now, Peggy, it isn’t like I am speaking like granny. I want you to be happily married for good honest reasons, not just because you feel obligated” _

_ “I’m always going to feel obligated” _

_ “You think that now, my dear, but give it time” _

_ “I have given it a fairly long time now, don’t you think” Peggy said with a small laugh, looking to him and seeing the wonder on his face “What is it?” _

_ “I know it would have been hard for you to say this...but...other than Frederick who you turned down. Have you never courted?” _

_ She hated not being able to say yes, though Peggy didn’t know if she could even say that she and Steve dated. They didn’t exactly go for long strolls together or went riding. Any of the things that courting entails. They fell in love the night they met and only spoke through letters. And if she admitted to a secret relationship with an American. People will start making assumptions from past experiences. And though he’d deny it, George would feel a sense of deja vu as well, perhaps even more than anyone. _

_ Peggy just shrugged “It may be hard to believe, but it’s hard for me to meet people. And the men I do meet I have had no connection with. I suppose I just hit a spot of bad luck” _

_ George frowned for a moment and took hold of her hand once again “Well. I am a big believer in fate, darling. So when you do, and you will, meet a man that you fall for. Hold on. Don’t let go” _

_ Peggy smiled as George kissed the back of her hand and nodded “I promise you” _

Peggy took another calming breath. She just stood there and thought for a moment. She thought about that conversation and that promise. She made a promise to her Uncle. To a man who helped raise her, and she couldn’t dishonour him by breaking that promise.

She walked over to her desk and scribbled down a message. Looking up to the distance, she whispered “I promise you…”

She folded up the paper and called for a member of the palace staff.

“Your Highness. You called for assistance”

Peggy held the note out in front of him “I want this sent to the address written, the person it is for is also written down there. And I need it doing  _ now _ ”

“Yes ma’am” he said, taking the note out of her hand and quickly scurrying off to it.

* * *

Peggy made her way to the stables and got the stablehands to get her horse out. She didn’t even think about slowing herself down in this. She had forty five minutes, Peggy held tight onto the reins and rode off. Heading to where she had asked Steve to meet her. It’s a place where she used to go to with Margaret and Elizabeth when they were kids. Their parents would have a hissy fit about it all but it was fun.

Her horse went as fast as he could, which got her there in ten minutes. Peggy tied her horse up and waited beside the beaten up old boat, running her fingernails along it as she just waited and waited. She could have been there for about five minutes and it felt like twenty. She began to pace up and down, running her fingers through her hair and just thinking about everything.

After what felt like forever, she heard footsteps come up from behind her, she quickly turned and saw Steve walk over, dressed up in his army uniform and a big rucksack over his shoulder, clearly ready to go soon. He stared at her with a warm smile, to then shrug and ask “So wha-”

“Don’t go” she quickly blurted out which stopped him mid sentence. It took herself by surprise that she just came out with it, but now that she started she couldn’t exactly stop. She didn’t let him speak, she had to just get it all out “I know that I haven’t reached out to you these past days, and I could say it was because of my Uncle which was partly the reason but...but the main reason was because I was scared of what my family would do or say. My family mean everything to me, they  _ literally  _ are my life. My family and this life I live is all I’ve ever known and it scared me that I might have lost it all but what really scares me is losing you and I can’t...can’t lose you because I bloody well love you, Steve. Just please forgive how stupid I’ve been and-”

She was finally cut off as Steve lunged forward and kissed her hard. Cupping her face and pulling her lips closer, finally he slowly pulled away and looked into her eyes, smiling to her and saying “You had me at don’t”

Peggy let out a watery smile and let out a small overwhelmed sob which made him kiss her again. Peggy pinched her brows together against his forehead and said as she pulled her lips away “Steve, you must think about this”

“What’s there to think about? All I want is you”

“But you don’t just get me you get the whole bloody country” she said with a breathless laugh “You can’t have a normal life with me”

“But I’ll have a life with you, yes?”

Peggy smiled and nodded “Yes”

“Then I don’t give a damn about a normal life” Steve brushed his lips against hers again for a quick smooth moment and then whispered “I don’t need to think about it. I’m already sure”

Peggy both smiled and cried again as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Steve buried his face in her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly. He let out a relieved breath, relieved that she was finally allowing herself to open up and do this. With a burning question on his mind he asked “So...what happens now?”

Peggy waited for a moment and then pulled back and looked into his ocean eyes, taking in a deep breath “I need to tell my family. Elizabeth and Margaret already know, they are...encouraging”

“Well there’s a good thing. Got the Queen on our side”

Peggy nodded with her lips pursed “I’m afraid it’s not my little cousin we should be worried about, I wish it were that easy”

“Am I gonna be there with you or?”

“No…”

“Peggy”

“It would be better for me to tell them alone. I have to bring them into it slowly, especially my grandmother who is going to...god knows what” she looked up and saw the worried look on his face, she then gave him a small smile and rubbed his arms “Don’t worry. It  _ will  _ blow over. My family are just reluctant towards-”

“Americans?” Steve said with a teasing smirk. Peggy nodded with her brows raised “Yes, all because of my damn uncle but once they see it is a different situation, they’ll be alright” she gripped onto his jacket “Just don’t leave the country just yet”

“You have my word” Steve whispered as he kissed her forehead, then to wrap his arms around her body and hearing her say “I won’t let you go this time”

Steve pressed his lips against the top of her head and muttered back “Ditto”

* * *

Peggy came back to the palace, she saw Margaret getting on her horse. No doubt going to the same spot she just returned from to see Peter. Margaret looked to her with an expression of wonder, Peggy smiled to her and just gave her a nod. Which made Margaret just burst out with a grin and quietly squeal before riding off on her horse. 

Peggy walked into the palace, seeing Elizabeth in the living room with Philip and the children. The one few moments Elizabeth actually got to spend with them. Peggy was heading to her room to go and ring her mother and Michael. She couldn’t help but grin as she walked over to them, as she passed them. She grabbed Elizabeth and kissed her cheek.

“Oh!” Elizabeth exclaimed, being taken utterly by surprise, Elizabeth held onto her hand, her arm extending as Peggy walked on “Has it happened?”

Peggy stopped for a moment and bit her lip as she nodded “It has”

Elizabeth tilted her head to her with a smile “Oh good”

Peggy couldn’t contain her grin, she looked to Philip with the same look and then nodded to Elizabeth. Letting her know that it was okay for Philip to be aware of what has been happened “I have to call Michael and my mother. Ask them to come here so I can tell them face to face”

“Tell them what?” Philip asked. Peggy just looked to Elizabeth and said “Must dash”

“Peggy” Philip called as Peggy let out of Elizabeth’s hand and rushed down the hall, he looked to Elizabeth and shrugged “Care to explain?”

“I’ve been dying to tell you” Elizabeth said, putting her hands on his arms. Philip let out a small confused laugh and shrugged once again “What is it, darling?”

“Do you remember that American soldier,  _ you  _ spotted him looking at Peggy with a rather large amount of intensity”

“Ah yes” Philip slipped his hands in his pockets as Elizabeth dropped her hands from his arms “What of him?”

“He was staring at Peggy...because...the two of them...they met years ago, the night after our wedding in fact when Peggy was sent over there in honour of my father. They began to write to each other and fell in love”

Philip stare at her, his eyebrows flying up. Hardly believing the words that had just come out of his wife’s mouth “Peggy...and an American soldier?”

“I know. It isn’t exactly ideal or expected”

“Oh christ I couldn’t care less I was hardly welcomed with open arms, good luck to the chap because it won’t be easy. I’m just thinking about what the elders are going to think”

“Stop calling them the elders” Elizabeth said with a small laugh “It’s little things like that which is why they were skeptic”

Philip slipped her an amused smile and then looked down the hall to where Peggy went again as he put his hand on top of Anne’s head who was looking back and forth between the two of them. Philip looked to Elizabeth and kissed her cheek

* * *

Peggy walked into her room and picked up her phone. Putting a request to speak to Michael. Michael would be the best bet first.

_ “Hello Gidget, didn’t expect to hear from you today?” _

“Yes well I have a favour to ask of you” Peggy said, twirling her finger around the telephone wire and she leaned against the back of the settee.

_ “Oh dear, whatever for now?” _

“Would you come here tomorrow? I’m going to give mummy a call and ask her”

“ _ Me and mummy...what are you up to, Peggy _ ?”

“Nothing to worry about. I just need to talk to the both of you” Peggy pulled on the wire tighter, if she did it anymore she’d end up snapping the damn thing. She felt Michael stay silent as he tried to figure it out, but then she heard him sigh and give in “ _ Oh alright. Since you asked so nicely” _

“Thank you. See you tomorrow morning”

Peggy hung up the phone to Michael. That was the easy one, now she had to talk to her mother. A much more bolder and difficult person to talk to in a cryptic way without them questioning you.

_ “Hello?” _

“Mummy. It’s Peggy”

_ “Oh Peggy my dear! It has been too long” _

“It’s only been a few days” Peggy said with a nervous laugh in her tone.

_ “And too many at that. I knew I never should have let your Uncle convince me to let you stay up there” _

“Well I’m sure I’d eventually bore you” Peggy said, sliding down from the arm chair to the actual settee, her legs now hanging over the arm, hearing her mother laugh  _ “I doubt that. Now love, is there anything particular you would like to discuss?” _

“I was calling to ask you if you would care to come visit me tomorrow with Michael”

It was silent for a moment, which Peggy did not feel good about since her mother questioned just about  _ everything _ . But then she was surprised to hear her mother simply say “ _ I would love to, dear. In the afternoon?” _

“Yes. Michael said he will drive to get you”

One of many times she was grateful that Michael and his family lived close by to their mother  _ “Okay darling, I look forward to seeing you” _

Peggy hung up after a few seconds more. Her mother may be looking forward to seeing her, but she certainly will not enjoy what it is that she has invited her for.

* * *

Steve went back to the base. Where Bucky and the rest of the commandos were, getting ready to head back over to the states. They didn’t know where Steve had gone, mostly because when Steve got the note from Peggy he wasted no time and just took off. 

Bucky threw his rucksack in the back of the truck and turned to Steve as he approached them, Bucky slapped his arm “There you are pal. We were just considering leaving without ya” he joked, turning his head to the commandos as they laughed with him.

Steve let out a nervous breathless laugh and scratched the back of his head “Yeah that’s the thing um...you’re going to”

“We’re going to what?”

“...leave without me”

Bucky looked at him, extremely confused as did the rest of them. Steve sighed, he rubbed her fingertips over his eyes and then explained as he looked back to them “I just met up with Peggy...she wants to be with me boys, this is it. We’re doing it”

“But what about her family?” Bucky asked.

Steve shrugged “She’s sorting it. Said that she don’t care no more. She just wants us to be together...this is all I’ve wanted for four years” he watched as rest of his team got out from the back of the truck, still listening to him. Steve took a breath and added “My life has gotta be here now with her. I hope you guys understand”

Dugan looked down the line to them all and shrugged as he laugh “Hell. Course we do. You’ve been moping around for these past four years. Good to see that you’re happy” Dugan held his hand out that Steve slapped his hand in and pulled Dugan in, slapping his back a few times.

“Thanks, Dugan”

“Just make sure you keep her this time” he teased, slapping Steve’s back once more and then pulling back. The rest of them then gave him their blessing and hugs. Leaving Bucky to the end.

He had a glum look on his face. Steve sighed as the rest of them scattered over to the truck. Bucky put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath “So...this is it huh? Friends since we were stupid little kids and now we’re actually gonna go separate ways”

“Come on, Buck. It ain’t the end of our friendship, just gotta write to each now that’s all” he put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder and lightly shook it “Till the end of the line, remember? That still stands”

Bucky looked to him and then sighed out a small smile and nodded “Till the end of the line” he opened his arms and moved his hands towards him “C’mon, bring it in” 

Steve smiled and wrapped his arms around Bucky. Course he was going to miss him, the guy had been his brother since forever. Bucky patted Steve’s back and said with his chin on Steve’s shoulder “Good luck winning over the family”

Steve laughed and said as they pulled away “Yeah well. Already got the Queen on my side”

“Wouldn’t mind having her on my side” Bucky smirked as he put on his jacket. Steve laughed again and shook his head “Think the Prince would have something to say about that”

“Pretty sure I can take on Nancy boys” Bucky wiggled his eyebrows, flexing his bicep for a brief moment and then laughing. He stuck his hands in his pockets “I’ll miss you, Stevie”

“You too Buck”

“Don’t do anything stupid till we come back” Bucky put his hand on the handle on the back of the truck and slapped the side of it to let Dugan know that he was ready to set off.

“Pretty hard to do when you’re taking all the stupid with you”

“Don’t talk about the boys that way” Bucky dryly joked. Steve chuckled, looking away from him for a moment. The truck began to pull away, Bucky nodded to Steve and saluted to him before climbing into the back with the rest of the boys and waved him off. Steve gave them a wave and took a deep breath as he dropped his hand and looked around.

Peggy told him to stay one more night in the base at the army training unit, they’ll allow him. Then this time tomorrow, he’d be with her.

For good. 


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning. Peggy got herself prepared for this little sit down she was going to have with not just her brother and mother. But with her Aunt and Grandmother too. Damn Elizabeth and her ideas. She said that it would be better for her to just get it over with by telling them all at once rather than giving  _ sessions  _ instead. She did have a fair point, but it didn’t make her any less nervous than she already was. 

Having to stare at her grandmother in the face and telling her something that she knew would make her look at her with more judgement than ever before, and she’s had a fair few of those looks. But it was like a bandage, you just have to rip it off.

She paced up and down her commons as she waited for word to hit her that they had arrived. Margaret knocked on the door and popped her head in “Would you care for some moral support today?”

Peggy smiled to the and held her hand out as Margaret approached her and took hold of it “Thank you, Margaret love but it is something I must do alone, you can give me some comfort in the meantime for now”

“That I can do”

“Such as telling me when exactly it is that you will come clean about Peter to, as Philip calls them,  _ The Elders _ ”

Margaret let out a breathless laugh and shook her head “Fairly certain they have a feeling about it already but...once you get your little secret out the way then perhaps mine won’t seem as terrible”

Peggy looked away for a moment and stated the facts in a teasing tone “A divorcee, twice your age”

“Who is also the appropriate class, a friend to our family and a highly ranked war hero” Margaret came back with, then teasing Peggy by saying “Versus a man who is at the bottom of social and money class and is from a country that our family secretly have a dislike for and has no important rank whatsoever”

“Well I’d call that even” Peggy lightly laughed.

“We’re both going to be  _ shunned  _ no matter when we let this slip”

Peggy shrugged and nodded, then changing the subject “So, where is our esteemed leader this morning?”

“Attending to Queen business. Why on earth has her coronation been delayed till next year?”

“I have no idea but she is not too thrilled about it. Nor Philip...nor me for that matter”

Margaret looked to her and tilted her head “You miss her”

Peggy stared at Margaret for a moment, quite short in what to say, she then shrugged and came out with “I think we all do. You remember what it used to be like, the three of us” Peggy said with a warm hearted smile on her face just thinking about the memories that were merely a few months ago. Their holiday home in Malta. Where Philip used to do his navy training and Margaret, Elizabeth and Peggy would go out on speedboats watching them. Although when Peggy got her hands on an unattended boat they went all over the place.

Margaret let out the same warm expression and nodded “Of course I remember...we all thought we would have more time to create more of those memories, it’s unfair. All of it” Margaret sighed as she looked away for a moment, but then took her eyes back to Peggy and said “But even though one of our three had been taken away. Two still remain”

“And we were the more reckless ones” Peggy said with a smirk.

“Fun ones you mean” Margaret said, getting a teasing dig at her sister whenever she saw fit. Peggy gave her an amused look “Margaret”

“Oh don’t go serious on me now, Peggy, you know I only tease”

There was then a knock at the door, the two women both turned their heads to the butler that stepped in the room “Pardon me your majesties. Princess Margaret-”

“Which one?” they both said in unison.

God Peggy wished that they would just call her by her preferred name. It would be much simpler. But they don’t because it doesn’t sound formal. The butler let out a nervous laugh and looked to Peggy “You. Ma’am. Your brother and mother have arrived”

“Good, thank you send them to me” Peggy looked to Margaret and whispered “Please go get Aunt and Granny”

Margaret nodded and went out the door to get them. After waiting for a minute or two, the door opened once again to see Michael and her mother come in the room. Michael grinned and opened his arms to her “Hello trouble”

“Hello you” Peggy smiled, wrapping her arms around him as he patted her back. Peggy then looked to her mother and smiled “Mummy” she leaned forward they kissed each other on the cheek. Her mother put her hand to Peggy’s cheek and said “You look wonderful darling, have you lost weight?”

“No, I’ve always looked this brilliant” Peggy dryly joked as she squeezed her mother’s hand. It wasn’t long before they were joined by her grandmother and aunt. Michael let out a confused laugh “Granny. Aunt Elizabeth. Well this is quite a gathering”

“ _ My _ Margaret called for us to come here, apparently this one has something that she needs to tell us” Peggy smiled as she walked over to her Aunt, gave a small bow as it was always the graceful thing to do, even her own daughters do it, she kissed her cheek and then did the same to her grandmother “Yes Margaret was quite right there is something that I need to tell you all...please sit”

Michael looked at her oddly, but Peggy just gave him a stern look and slapped her hand on his arm to then give him a push to tell him to just do as she says. They all sat down and looked to her. Peggy remained stood in front of them with her hands clutched together, she was so nervous. Even more so now. It was building up in her head this whole time on how she was going to prepare herself, but now that had gone out of the window.

Peggy cleared her throat, looking to Michael which made her feel slightly more calm by having him here with her “I have...I have been keeping something from you all...for a very long time... _ years _ to be quite honest I…” Peggy cleared her throat once again and carried on “Four years ago, the day after Philip and Elizabeth’s wedding I was sent over to America if you remember correctly-”

“Ah yes. I was supposed to come with you but Lilian was sick” Michael tutted, referring to his daughter who was only five at the time, he shook his head and motioned his hand to her “Apologises, do carry on, dear”

“Thank you. Yes so I went over to America to pay a gracious thank you to troops from the unit of the one of seventh...when I was there I…” she sighed and just blurted it out “I met someone. A soldier. His name is Steve and we...fell in love”

She saw the surprised and shocked look on her faces, she held her hands up and said “After four months of exchanging letters, Elizabeth discovered it-”

“Elizabeth knew?” Her Aunt Elizabeth gasped.

“Yes. She found me reading a letter the day she came to me to tell me she was pregnant...she warned me what it would do to our family. What you would think and advised that I ended things before they had gone too far. It took everything for me to do it but I did”

Peggy’s mother shrugged and nodded “Well good. A man of that lifestyle would never be-”

“ _ But _ . Last week, Steve was picked as one of the soldiers to do the march for Uncle George’s funeral. Something regarding it looking good to have a man from America be mixed with our troops...we were alone and we realised that we were still in love with each other and…” she sighed as she felt herself rambling and looked down to the floor as she just said “And we are going to be together”

Finally, after a long painful silence. She looked up to them, she could see that Michael was shocked but he was completely okay with it. But it was never her older brother of who she was concerned with. She took her eyes to the three women and saw the look of what could be described as horror on their faces. But it was out there now, and there wasn’t exactly anything they could do about it.

Peggy was going to just let them take in the information and remain silent. But after a long moment she couldn’t take much more “Please say something. Someone at least”

Michael looked over to the three women and then to Peggy. He slowly stood up “Well. I’m sure he’s a lovely lad, just as long as he treats you well” he smiled to her and rubbed her arm. Peggy let out a sigh of relief and smiled to her brother.

Then to only hear Mary say “It’s a disgrace, Margaret”

Peggy kept her eyes on Michael and let out a frustrated breath before looking to Mary “Granny?”

“After everything that your Uncle has put this family through regarding  _ that  _ woman”

“Yes, Granny I understand. But this does not compare. I am not the same person as Edward. I am also never going to be-”

“It matters not whether you will be Queen or not. Your choice of husband will always reflect this family”

Peggy looked away from her and rubbed her forehead, she looked to her mother and said in a mutter “Mother?”

Her mother just stared at her, shaking her head as she let out a deep breath “I don’t quite know what to say to you”

“Mum-”

“Your father wouldn’t either”

Peggy felt her breath get caught in her throat. That was a low blow. So much so that Michael intervened “Come on now. Mummy you can’t honestly believe that. Papa would just want her to be happy”

“Yes” her mother said, standing up with her hands together “And we all do...but not like this”

“As long as the man is rich and has a title then it’s alright for me to be happy?” Peggy said with resentment in the back of her tone. Peggy looked to her Aunt and already started to regret saying “Aunt. You are being uncomfortably quiet”

“I…” she looked to her mother and sister in law. Then back to Peggy and shook her head in a shrug “I am pleased for you”

Peggy and Michael’s brows went up almost as fast as their mother and grandmother’s heads snapped to her “What?” their mother gasped “You approve?”

Her Aunt took a breath and avoided eye contact “Well, granted a man such as this would not be my first choice for my niece but...seeing that you are happy, more than I have seen in a long time then I am never going to discourage you”

“How could you encourage this, Elizabeth?” Mary said sternly. Her Aunt Elizabeth turned to Mary and said after a moment of silence “Albert would say the exact same thing” she looked up to Peggy’s mother and added “I am fairly certain  _ your  _ George would have as well”

“If your daughter was with a man that this family didn’t approve-”

“I have a son in law that this family did not approve of and title or no title Philip would still be my son in law to this day”

“If you truly believe that then you are a fool” her grandmother grumbled.

“You may believe you know what’s best for my daughter more than I do. But just remember that I am her mother”

Peggy dropped her hands from her hips and took one small step forward “Mummy that’s not what she-”

“It is exactly what she is implying”

There has always been a hint of jealously and even rivalry between her Aunt Elizabeth and her mother. Perhaps because at first her grandmother took to Aunt Elizabeth better than her mother and she has been trying to win her approval ever since. Her grandmother was a very hard woman to please and no matter who is head of the family in the formal manner, she  _ is  _ the head of the family.

Peggy gave an apologetic look to her Aunt who then held her hand up to Peggy to not argue back to her mother “It’s quite alright” she then stood, looking to her mother and said “She is  _ your  _ daughter. Perhaps you should take that into consideration before disapproving her happiness”

Her Aunt walked over to her and put her hands on her arms “If there is nothing else, I think I may go get some fresh air”

“No, that’s all” Peggy let out a smile and then whispered “Thank you”

Her Aunt just nodded, slid her hands down her arms and turned to Michael. Giving him a kiss on the cheek as he did the same and left without saying a word to either women, she just glanced to them. Mary then stood up, looking at both of her grandchildren with disappointment and just walked away without saying a word.

Michael sighed “Granny”

She just shook her head with her back to them and left. Michael groaned under his breath. Peggy looked to her mother and after a moment of silence she said “Thank you  _ so  _ much for your support”

“My dear I don’t know what you were expecting”

“I expected Granny to react the way she did...but I thought you, my mother, would try to understand” Peggy shook her head, she shrugged “But I am glad I’ve told you...because Steve is coming to live here with me”

“What?” she gasped.

“Where do you suggest he stays? In the troops base? No I have spoken to Elizabeth and...she said that we can stay in Clarence House, now that she and Philip have had to give it up to stay here at Buckingham”

“This is a mistake”

“No” Peggy shook her head “The only mistake I made is believing you would understand, I must have been mislead by how much you told us you love Papa regardless of his title, I would like to believe that he would have felt the same”

Peggy looked over her mother’s shoulder to the door and weakly motioned her hand to it “Goodbye mummy, have a safe trip back home”  

Her mother glanced to Michael, who looked just as annoyed at her than Peggy did. She looked back to Peggy and sighed “Goodbye, darling”

The two of them watched her walk out. Michael then took a step forward and turned to Peggy “It seems that is also my cue since we arrived together”

“I wish you hadn’t” Peggy said with a soft laugh “I would have wanted you to stay longer”

“I know, I’m sorry love. You have the girls though” Michael smiled softly, putting his hand on her arms and then pulling her close, wrapping his arms around her “I’m proud of you for doing that. But I am a little hurt that you didn’t tell me about him all those years ago”

“It was for my benefit more than you. I was too hurt”

Michael rubbed her back “Well, that’s something I never want to hear again” he kissed the top of her head and said “I just want your happiness”

“I’ve finally reach it now, Michael” Peggy said as she pulled back from him and smiled. Michael patted her back and kissed her cheek “Must dash. Can’t keep our lovely make of a mother waiting now can I?” Michael took a step back and eventually let go of her hands.

He then pointed to her and said “I would like to meet this man of yours soon enough”

Peggy let out a breathless laugh and nodded “I think we would both like that”

Michael smiled to her and then left the room, finally leaving her alone. Peggy let out a sigh of relief. Two out of four wasn’t bad.

* * *

Steve got out of the car that Peggy had sent to get him. He looked up to Clarence house that was now going to be his home. His home with Peggy. It was still so surreal, everything was going so fast but in a good way, in the way that it should have been four years ago. It was all that he had ever wanted. It was also weird to let someone else take his bags for him instead of carrying them by himself, he was going to have to get used to that. 

Steve walked inside the house and saw Peggy stood there in front of him, he grinned and quickly walked over to him. He went to kiss her on the lips but ended up settling for her cheeks as she turned her head. It was to be his first lesson to the life of royalty as Peggy looked to him and said with a smile “Sorry. Best not to in front of the staff”

Steve looked up to see and realise that they weren’t alone. There were men stood at almost every door, he let out a nervous laugh and nodded “No kissing in halls. Got it”

“Cheeks and forehead are acceptable” she said sweetly, touching his cheek and adding on “You’ll catch on” she dropped her hand back down as he asked “How’d it go?”

“Hm well. Michael is thrilled and looking forward to meeting you. My Aunt, surprisingly understanding but my mother and grandmother…” she pulled a face and shook her head “Mother will be fine eventually, my grandmother however may die spiteful”

“Don’t say that”

“ _ You _ haven’t met her” Peggy raised her brows to him “But. Would you care to meet my cousins?”

Steve gulped heavily “You...you mean-”

“The  _ other  _ Princess Margaret, my cousin in law The Duke of Edinburgh and oh yes the Queen of England”

“You say that as if it’s a normal situation” his eyes then widened and darted his head around for a moment and then looked back to her “They’re here?!”

“Down the hall” Peggy lightly laughed at his awkward nature. She wiggled her singers to him and said “Would you care to come with me?”

“I’ll go anywhere with you” Steve said, still with nerves in his tone. His slid his hand in Peggy’s and let her guide him. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander around the house. It was beyond anything he had ever seen before, apart from Buckingham palace of course, it was dawning on him just how different Peggy’s life was to how he lived his.

The doors were opened for them, again something he was going to have to get used to.

The doors opened and there he saw The Duke, Princess and The Queen. Although they were Peggy’s family, he could not forget those titles. All of their heads turned from chatting among each other to the pair as they walked through the door. Peggy let go of Steve’s hand and motioned it to Philip “Steve, this is my cousin  _ in law _ , Philip”

Philip stuck his hand out that Steve quickly grabbed and shook, again due to his nerves “Sir. An honour to meet you”

“Pleasure. And given the circumstances, I think you can call me Philip” he said with a smirk. Peggy did warn Steve about his sharp wit.

“Yes sir-Philip. Philip sorry”

Margaret leaned back for a moment and mumbled to Peggy “He’s a bag of nerves”

“He’ll be fine just be gentle” Peggy quickly whispered back to her, then to smile to Steve as she walked in front of them. Peggy put her hand on Margaret’s back and stood her up straight once again “My cousin Margaret”

“And do call me Margaret” she butted in before Steve had the chance to say anything, she held her hand out and added “After all. You will be family soon enough”

Peggy subtly elbowed Margaret’s back and moved to Elizabeth as Steve kissed her hand “A pleasure,  _ Margaret _ ”

“Well done” Margaret whispered with a wink. Steve let out a light laugh, feeling slightly relaxed, only for that feeling to quickly escape his body as he came face to face with the Queen. Elizabeth thankfully had a warm and welcoming look on her face, if she didn’t it would have made him feel much more nervous.

“And I believe the two of you have briefly met before” Peggy quipped.

Steve did not dare to assume that the Queen of England would be alright with him calling her by her first name, he took her hand “Your majesty” when he kissed her hand, Elizabeth looked to Peggy who was giving her a pleading expression to do what the other’s did. It was different for her than the others, but when Peggy asks for a favour she damn well abides by it, she cleared her throat and said “Elizabeth would do just fine”

Steve looked to Peggy and then back to Elizabeth “If you are comfortable with that, ma’am?”

“He didn’t ask me that, did he?” Margaret mumbled to Philip which earned her a laugh from him and a glare from Peggy, she rolled her eyes “Oh settle down, Peggy I am simply teasing”

“Perfectly” Elizabeth answered Steve with a small smile. Steve let out a brief sigh of relief and the said “Thank you for letting me into your home. Peggy told me that you and Philip” it was going to take everything in his power to not call them by their titles “Lived here originally”

“Yes all the interior work was my doing” Philip said then shooting Elizabeth a smirk. She knew how proud he secretly was of himself.

Steve nodded as he gave a quick look around “It’s grand. Beyond the dumps that I had to be raised in”

_ ‘Oh god. Why did you just say you came from dumps to a bunch of royals’  _ he said to himself in his head.

“Well, this is your home now” Elizabeth said, swiftly ignoring his comment on living in a dump. Seeing how he regretted saying it right after he did so “The hardest part has been done, telling my Aunt, mother and the more difficult one that is our grandmother”

Philip slid his hands in his pockets and said “Good luck to seeing her again. God, you settling for me was enough to give her a stroke”

Elizabeth tilted her head to him with a light smile “I did not  _ settle  _ for you, dearest”

Steve looked to Peggy. He saw what she meant about how in love you could tell Philip and Elizabeth were, no matter how difficult this whole ordeal was for their marriage. Steve also knew about Peter, but he could not build himself any type of courage to ask about him.

After a very short silence, Margaret said “We should all have dinner, to really get to know you Steve. I’m afraid right now I am late for my riding”

Which was code for, she was late to go and see Peter.

“Yes we’ll let you get all settled in” Philip said, patting his back and smirking “I’m sure my dearest cousin will be dying to show you the bedroom”

Peggy stared at him with her eyes slightly squinted and slowly shook her head “Get out”

He let out a  _ ‘HA’ _ laugh and then looked to Elizabeth “Coming darling?”

“Yes, as my husband said we will let you get settled”

“Don’t leave on my account” Steve said, putting his hand to his chest. Elizabeth smiled and said as Philip but his hand on her back to walk her out “Don’t worry Steve, you will have many  _ many  _ times to get to know us, soon you’ll be wanting to get rid of us” 

Steve let out a small laugh and watched them leave, he then turned to Peggy as she walked towards him and slipped her arms around his waist. He stared at her and then pinched his brows together “That went well. Right?”

Peggy smiled and nodded “Very much so” she lightly kissed his lips and gripped firmly to his back “I’ve waited so long for this”

“Me too” Steve said to her, cupping her cheeks and pulled her closer. The first time he kissed her, which in reality was only twenty four hours ago, he never wanted to stop. He tightened his arm around her waist, and after a moment. Peggy came up for breath and said “Let me show you to your room”

“Sure” Steve whispered with a smile as she took hold of his hand again and led him out the door. Peggy led him up the stairs, which was just as huge as downstairs and had just as many staff roaming around.

“Damn...this place really goes on and on”

“It seems size matters to you almost as much as it does it me” Peggy muttered as she turned a corner with him, looking over her shoulder and saw the shocked look on his face. She blubbered a laugh “I mean houses of course”

“Of course” Steve laughed. Peggy opened the door to a master bedroom. It was bigger than his entire apartment back in Brooklyn. It was fancy, which he expected nothing less given this was literally how royalty live. Steve took his hand out of Peggy’s and walked forward, taking a look around of his own. He walked over to the bed and laid his hand down on it, then looking to her.

Peggy opened her mouth, delayed her speech for a moment and then said “I hope there were no crossed wires?”

“Hm?”

“About...sleeping in separate rooms. Beds. I know that you are well aware of my...with the man I was formally engaged to”

“Yeah I know” He grumbled under his breath as he sat down on the foot of the bed.

“He managed to convince me that he and I needed to...to see if we were compatible. I was young and very well manipulated, it was something that I lost. It was sacred, as any woman who is loyal to her religion feels it is. I’ve learnt to ignore and pretend that it never happened. So when the time comes for it to happen. I want to be married, do. it the proper way”

Steve smiled to her. He understood, he was even on the same page as her. He wanted to wait for someone special, that’s what he always imagined growing up, but no, he ended up just getting it over with like he was pressured to do whilst in the war and slept with a random secretary in his base that he didn’t even know. He too was a religious man. But these days, sex was something that you had to do when reaching a certain age, because if you get to your mid twenties and still a virgin you’re now considered a loser.

“I get it, you don’t have to explain. You want to court”

“Courting is the real fun despite what people say” Peggy smirked to him. Steve pushed himself up from the bed and raised his brows “Promise”

“Believe me” Peggy flung her arm around his neck “Courting a  _ princess  _ certainly brings the fun out in it all”

“Oh yeah? Counting on it. That is the only reason I’m here” he teased.

Peggy lightly laughed and slapped his chest as he put his lips to hers. Peggy ran her fingers through his hair. God she wanted him so bad. But she was sticking to her guns. This time she would wait till marriage. God forbid she were to sleep with him beforehand and have an accidental pregnancy that would give the press a field day. Not only would she disgrace _ The Elders  _ by shaking up with a poor American boy but to be pregnant out of wedlock would be the complete scandal to add to the original scandal.

Peggy put her hand under his chin and whispered “Now, where else would you like to roam?”

She saw the cheeky smirk appear on his face and quickly corrected the poorly structured sentence “Of the house”

“I knew that, what were you thinking?” he teased her.

Peggy looked down to his hands and entwined their fingers together, with a soft expression on her face, she looked back up to him. Giving him another quick, tender kiss and then leading him out the room again to show him around a bit more. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Steve woke up in his new, incredibly comfy bed. It was so soft that he found it hard to even sleep it, compared to the rough sleeping he’s been doing for nearly ten years when including the war, sleeping on an actual bed feels like you were going to sink right down to the floor. It was odd, but it was great.

Peggy had warned him that today would not be a day where he would be able to relax. The royal family's private secretaries, especially Tommy Lascelles who is Elizabeth’s, will be on his tail to make him turn into a more _presentable_ suitor for the Princess of Cambridgeshire. He could hardly go around wearing the clothes he was currently dressed in.

Steve walked out of his room in his normal attire. Seeing Margaret walk past in her dressing gown and a cigarette in her hand. Something that Peggy said he will certainly get used to, no matter how many times she tries to encourage Margaret to stop, she smokes like a chimney. Margaret stopped once he caught her eye and said with a smirk “Ah so. My cousin is being sensible for once”

“I don’t follow” Steve nervously chuckle as he closed the door behind him. Margaret turned her body to him to face him properly and said “You. Staying in a separate room. Philip had a bet on that she wouldn't be able to not dig her claws into you”

Steve blubbered a chuckle as he bowed his head down, trying to hide his faint blushing cheeks, to then shrug as he looked back up to her “Peggy wants to do things the right way. So do I”

“Well, I must admire you both for that” Margaret nodded to him with a warm expression. She knew full well that if she and Peter were living just a few doors away from each other that she may have broke her _sacred_ promise to god. But then again, Peggy is a lot like Elizabeth in this sense. Margaret nodded down the hall “You will find her in the dining room”

“She’s already up?”

“Oh god yes, she always gets up at six o’clock, it’s as if she can’t help it. She’s mad”

“I’ll be sure to remember that” Steve laughed as he started to walk down the hall, he looked to her over his shoulder “You’re not coming?”

“No, not just yet. I have a call to make” Margaret stated simply as she then went to walk down the opposite end of the hall. Steve thought nothing of it, he just stuck his hands in his pockets and eventually found the dining room.

He crept up behind her and made her jump as he planted a kiss on the top of her head, Peggy let out a breathless laugh and put down the newspaper as he sat down beside her.

“Good morning” she smiled.

“Morning” he said back, with a smile just as big. Both of them still getting butterflies in the pit of their stomachs at this whole ordeal. Peggy placed her hand over her and softly stroked it up and down with her fingertips, that sent chills down his spine “How did you sleep?”

“Hardly at all. I’m not used to having beds so comfy, or beds at all now that I think about it”

“I’m sure it is something you can live with to get used to” Peggy nodded, teasing him but subtly. She closed the newspaper up and passed it to him “Good news. You’re famous”

Steve looked down at the newspaper and saw it titled.

_‘American soldier boy in Cahoots with our Princess Peggy?’_

Steve looked up at her “Two questions. First of call _Cahoots_?” he paused and smiled as he listened to her laugh and then added “Second of all. I thought only your family call you Peggy”

“Well yes they do. But the public _and_ media are aware that I prefer to be called it. So they use it, probably to avoid any confusion between Margaret and I”

Steve nodded and looked back down to the newspaper “It spread fast. I mean...why and how have they come to that assumption?”

“They’re clever. They snapped a picture of us looking at each other _intensely_ as it says on page three at my Uncle’s funeral. They waited it out and clearly it was worth it. It could be seen as merely gossip, which it is but... they aren’t wrong” a grin then spread on her face as she quoted “You are in _Cahoots_ with the nation's _Princess Peggy_ ”

“And I’m the luckiest guy alive because of it” Steve looked to her with a proud smile on his face. Peggy smiled to him and watched as he reached forward and grabbed the jar of orange juice that was set out for them and poured it into a glass “So. What do I have to do today?”

“They’re going to want you to change your wardrobe, so I imagine our tailor will be sent here at some point”

“A tailor. Right”

“He’ll just whip up your measurements and get to it. He does Philip’s clothing so you will be in safe hands”

Steve took it all in and just nodded to what she was saying. She was the expert in this whole field, she had literally been doing it since she was born. Peggy rubbed his hand and leaned forward to give him a light kiss, with a smile spread across her face, she whispered to him as she pulled back by a small inch “Make sure you’re filled up. Because you’re going to have a terribly long day”

Steve frowned and groaned “Wonderful”

“Once this is out of the way, you’ll be able to actual live a life” she laughed “With me”

“Then I hope this day goes quickly” he kissed her, to then whisper “Because I want to make up for those four years”

“As do I”

He put his finger under her chin as their kiss deepened.

“Ding _dong_ ”

Peggy rolled her eyes when hearing her cousin walk through the door. Peggy pulled back from Steve and looked to Margaret as she took her seat at the table “And where were you?”

“On the phone...to Lilibet of course”

“ _Of course_ ”

The little fibber. Why on earth would she call Elizabeth this early in the morning? No. She was on the phone to Peter and there was no question about that. Margaret didn’t wager on Peggy’s teasing and went onto the topic of herself and Steve “So, what does today have planned for the two of you? Surely not to sit in a room all day and frolic”

Peggy choked on her tea whilst Steve blushed. Peggy shot her a look to tell her to stop it. Although it was amusing, Steve often got embarrassed, he was still nervous. Margaret shrugged to her, she was simply trying to just make him fit in with the family. Peggy rolled her eyes once again and said “Steve is to have his measurements done, so the tailor can get him more... _suitable_ attire”

“Yes, well, it was to be expected. You will be whisked away to dinner parties and public appearances”  

Peggy looked to Steve, seeing his anxiety peek through. She was well aware of his anxiety and paranoia. They told each other everything, especially over those four months exchanging letters. She reached over and rubbed his hand, giving him a reassuring look “With me by your side, don’t forget”

Steve smiled to her and nodded “Course”

“What better woman to have on your shoulder than the most desired woman in the world?”

Peggy smirked and looked to Margaret “You aren’t exactly short from that title yourself”

Margaret laughed and raised her brows to her as she poured herself a glass. One of the many few things they were allowed to do by themselves.

* * *

“Please”

“No”

“ _Philip_ ”

“ _Peggy_ ”

Peggy sighed and tugged on his sleeve to stop him from fixing up his overalls for just a second. He was ready to go for his flying lesson “You do realise I am practically begging you”

“I know” Philip said with his brows raised at her, then smirking to himself “I like it. Do more”

He turned and looked back to himself in the mirror. Peggy frowned at him and looked at him through the mirrored reflection “It will just be one afternoon”

“You mean to tell me, that you came all the way here just to ask me to take out your new man? Forgive me but I thought you were supposed to be courting him not me”

Peggy swatted at him with his teasing “Philip. One afternoon”

“Maybe you should have our Queen order me to do it” he muttered as he fixed the end of his sleeves. Peggy remained silent for a moment, she just looked at him. Philip looked to her for a moment and looked away with a sigh as she asked “Are you two alright? Have you had a spat”

“It’s nothing to worry about” he weakly laughed, looking back into the mirror “It’ll pass. It always does”

It fell silent for a small moment, Philip then cleared his throat and gave in “Alright, fine, I will take him hunting or fishing or...what does he like to do?”

“He’s never done anything like this before so you just take your pick and we will find out what his flavour is” Peggy said, patting his arms “Thank you, I do deeply appreciate it”

“You bloody better”

“He’s currently back at Clarence house, having his clothes done for him, so I shall let him know when he’s done” Peggy said as she began to walk out of his room. Then to hear him call as she reached the door “Tomorrow afternoon, two o’clock. Perhaps you can use the time we are away to see my wife. God knows I haven’t lately”

Peggy just looked to him and nodded. She didn’t comment. She just left. Philip had a point, she could use the time to catch up. She couldn’t see her today, not because she was busy but because Elizabeth was. It was making her feel distance from Elizabeth too, it was a strain on all of them. They were all a tight group but now things are _different_.

Elizabeth sent her sincere apology Peggy’s way. She had no more business here, she called for her car, go in and headed back to Clarence house.

_Malta 10th August 1951_

_“David”_

_“No”_

_“Oh that chap Teddy is quite a charmer”_

_“Elizabeth, stop trying to set me up with Philip’s friends” Peggy said with an amused grin, sitting on Elizabeth’s bed. She was already dressed for the party they were to have after Philip passes his navy training. After all that’s what they were here for, though it was mostly just an excuse to have their friends together and drink._

_“They’re in the navy with him” Elizabeth wriggled her brows to her as she looked to Peggy through the mirror, putting her earrings in._

_“Oh so our family will approve” she mocked as she played with her hair._

_“That’s not exactly what I was implying but now that you mention it. Yes” she smirked, dropping her hands and turning to her. Peggy let out a breathless laugh and shook her head to her “You’re bloody ridiculous”_

_Elizabeth walked over and put her hands down on the bottom of the bed “I just want you to meet someone. Try to move on. Eventually to even have-”_

_“Mummy!”_

_The two women smiled to each other. Talk about perfect timing. Elizabeth let out a small laugh and said as her son and daughter came bouncing in the room “Have these little things of your own”_

_“I’ll just settle for yours” Peggy said as she lifted Anne up on the bed as Charles already launched himself up. Peggy held Anne close, with her arms around her waist and resting her head on top of Anne’s as Charles climbed on her back. Elizabeth laughed and nodded “I’d say they are handful enough for anyone”_

_“What your mother means to say is that you are the most darling children in the entire world” Peggy said to the two of them as she tickled them both. Elizabeth stood up straight with an amused look on her face “Of course”_

_Charles looked up to Elizabeth “Mummy, Papa sent us in here because he’s ready to row”_

_“Well then” Elizabeth clapped her hands together “I suppose I should get in the boat”_

_Peggy and Elizabeth were going to go in a speedboat and watch them. Elizabeth was going to take her camera and film every second of it. Like her dad had encouraged her to do, after all, the camera was a wedding present._

_“So if you will climb off your Aunt Peggy because Papa’s patience will only last so long”_

_Anne and Charles giggled and climbed down from Peggy and let her stand up, more like pulled up from Elizabeth yanking on her arm. As the two women laughed and walked out, Elizabeth turned around to her children and called “Make sure you don’t get into a tussle with the other children”_

_She knew what they were like, well, Anne. Very rough and tumble. It didn’t take a genius to wonder where she got that from._

She missed that. Peggy missed going around with Elizabeth, the jokes and laughs they had together. Elizabeth was happier then, she now had a new life, her old one was torn away from her and that wasn’t fair. But it was life. Everyone was happier back then. Well Peggy wasn’t, not whole anyway. But God, if she could have that along with the happiness she has with Steve. Then her life would _literally_ be perfect.

* * *

Peggy got back to the house and just as she came in. The tailor left. Peggy took off her coat and hung it up as she walked into one of the living rooms where she found Steve sat by the fire. He was just in his white t-shirt and pants.

Peggy tilted her head as she walked over to him, with her arms crossed “Hi…”

Steve looked up from having his head bowed to the floor, giving her a soft smile “Hi”

“Are you alright?” she asked with a light laugh “You seemed slightly...in your own world then”

Steve shrugged, looking down to his hands for a minute “Just...the tailor was asking me all kinds of questions bout my life and where I came from. Just to keep conversation the conversation going, then the more I talked the more I realised how much of a damn _pauper_ I must have sounded to him compared to the conversation he had with Philip and stuff”

Peggy let out a quiet sigh and shook her head “Alright” she whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder which made him sit back as she took a seat on his lap. Peggy rubbed her lips together and then said as she looked to him “Philip was exiled from Greece with his family when he was just a child, he was practically homeless for a long part of his life. Going from place to place...we call him the _Homeless Charlie Kraut_ ”

“Harsh” Steve laughed.

“All I am saying is Philip has not had some rich glamorous life, as I’ve told you before, _The Elders_ didn’t care for him either. Not in the slightest yet here he is, the Duke of Edinburgh, life partner of Queen Elizabeth” Peggy looked in his eyes, she put her hand on his cheek and pulled his lips to hers, making a soft loving noise and then whispering as she pulled away “Try not to care what people may or may not think...you’re mine. And I love everything about you, where you came from...who you are. You wouldn’t be you without your background” she kissed him again “Never be ashamed of where you come from or who you are, because you are the most perfect man”

“There’s no such thing”

“I didn’t think so, until I met you”

Steve stared at her, then to roll his eyes and nod “Fine. You got me there since I didn’t think the perfect woman existed till you walked in, in your burgundy gown and beautiful smile”

“You remembered what colour my dress was” she laughed through being both surprised and flattered “You’re so sweet”

Steve let out an embarrassed grin as Peggy leaned back towards him and kissed him, more passionate this time. Steve put his arm around her waist and moved their bodies down to the couch, with Peggy’s back against the seat cushions and Steve over her, still holding onto her tight. His hand gripped tighter to her waist, as she gripped to his shirt.

“Steve” she said breathlessly. Steve groaned as he carried on kissing her. His running down to her leg. Peggy smirked, turned the kiss into a lightly peck and then whispered “We have to slow down”

Steve looked at her, the warm expression in her eyes. Of course she was being serious, and he wanted the same things that she did. So he knew they should cool off, they didn’t want to end up getting too ahead of themselves and doing something they would curse themselves for doing later. Steve, still having hold of her tight, brought her back up. Back to just sitting on his lap. Peggy caught her breath and then smiled to him.

She then got back into a more relevant subject “By the way. You are going out with Philip tomorrow afternoon”

Steve’s brows flew up “What?”

“That’s where I went whilst the tailor was taking your measurements, you need to have a bond with people who aren’t just me, my family will soon be yours.Granting that things go accordingly of course” she smirked “Which I have no reason to think that it wouldn’t. Family is the most important thing in the world, they’re all I’ve ever known. So to have you become close with Philip will surely make life easier for you”

“He was okay with it?”

“Yes. It doesn’t clash with his flying lessons so he was up for it” Peggy whispered to him with a teasing smirk, finding her feet to the floor and standing up “Two o’clock”

Steve took a deep breath and nodded “Okay”

* * *

 

“Do you think you can squeeze me in today?”

 _“Don’t. I already feel terrible for having to send you away yesterday”_ Elizabeth cried on the other side of the phone _“And the meeting was god awful”_

“Poor little Queen” Peggy teased.

_“Your sympathy would not go short at this moment in time...what time does Philip take out your Steven?”_

“I’m bringing him to Buckingham, he’ll go off with Philip at two”

_“Two. Right I shall make bloody sure that I am free”_

Peggy smiled, getting a nice warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was looking forward to catching up. It felt like so long since they actually sat down together and had a proper conversation. Elizabeth needed to vent about things, Peggy could hear it in her voice. And apparently she didn’t feel like venting to Philip. Perhaps she felt like she couldn’t. The problem with Philip was because he couldn’t get involved with whatever she tells him, he doesn’t _really_ listen. He just makes comments.

“You are kind” Peggy teased her once again.

_“Well I do try my best. So. Two?”_

“Yes! I am looking forward to it”

_“Me too”_

After a few small exchanges, Peggy was off the phone and walked down the hall. She knocked on Steve’s bedroom door and when given the all clear, she walked in to find him dressed. All dressed up in his new clothes. He was in a smart tweed hunting suit along with a flat cap. He would fit right in with all these aristocrats.

But she liked it. It suited him well. She walked in and folded up her arms “Well. I certainly love this attire”

Steve looked up to her, he sighed and said stressfully “I can’t tie a tie”

Peggy quietly giggled and walked over to him. As she did it for him, Steve kept his chin up to make life easier for her and then came out and said “Peggy. I gotta be honest with you. I’ve never hunted before and...I don’t think I’ll enjoy it, I mean killing innocent birds”

“Hm. Yes I know. I must admit, it’s hardly my favourite too” Peggy said, she tightened the knot to a perfect size and then looked to him as he looked down to her “But. It’s what the _men_ do around here. You could pretend you’re a bad shot”

“Well now you’re asking too much” Steve muttered with a smirk. Peggy laughed and dropped her hands down “Yes, I am well aware that I am asking a lot from you. But it’s either shoot some birds or pretend you can’t”

“Suppose I’ll have to make up a decision when we get there. Does Philip enjoy it?”

Peggy rolled her eyes and shrugged, turning her back to him as she walked over to his bed and sat at the end of it “Philip enjoys anything that he can get his frustrations out on. Shooting wasn’t something he thought about. But my Uncle used to take him before he got too ill”

“He gets frustrated?”

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t happen to all our significant others” Peggy said with a light smile “It just happens when you are the husband of the Queen of England...they’re so young. Elizabeth especially is so young to have this on her shoulders. She- _we_ all thought that Elizabeth would be well in her forties before this would happen. So you can imagine the plans they had. Philip was going to finish all his navy training and they would... _have a life_ ”

“Sounds kinda... _sad_ when you put it like that”

“Well now you know the term _‘living like royalty’_ isn’t as much of a simple path that it sounds”

Steve laughed and nodded “Still. You get great beds”

Peggy then let a laugh escape a mouth and nodded “I suppose you’re right there” her eyes shifted to the clock. _1:40._ They better get going, it takes around fifteen minutes to get to Buckingham so they’d have to leave, like now.

Peggy walked over to him and lightly slapped his back to get him out of the door.

* * *

They had the car already outside for them. Arriving at _1:56_ which was just about the best timing. Steve had only been in this place once before, but he never had the chance to really take a look at it. Now that he was, it was insanely intimidating.

He tried not to seem like everytime he looked at these places or even these people that he wasn’t nervous or overwhelmed. Peggy even still made him a little nervous, but they were good nerves. She didn’t make him nervous because she was royal. She made him nervous because of all the other things, she was beautiful, insanely quick witted. And he was utterly in love with her, which was enough to make anyone nervous.

They walked in the palace, where Elizabeth was with Philip. Whispering something to each other. Whether they were just having a casual conversation or were bickering was too hard to tell. Especially since they stopped straight away as soon as they saw Peggy and Steve walk towards them in the corner of their eye. Both smiling to them.

Philip stuck his hand out and shook Steve’s hand “Steve. Marvelous to see you again”

“Yeah you too” Steve said, looking to Elizabeth and bowing his head ever so slightly “Ma’am”

He still wasn’t too comfortable in calling her Elizabeth. It seemed too informal considering who she was. _Ma’am_ he could get away with. Elizabeth gave him a polite smile “Lovely to see you again Steve, I see our tailor has certainly had his way with you”

“Yeah” Steve chuckled as he looked down to his clothes “Yeah it’s uh. It was something different”

“I can imagine” Elizabeth nodded, after a brief silence she took in a breath and said “Well. I hope you two have a good time together” she put her hand on Philip’s back for a moment and gave him a look as if to say _‘be good’_ , she too knew what he could be like. Better than anyone. He doesn’t bite his tongue and make the kind of one liner jokes that people take seriously. As Philip leaned to Elizabeth to kiss her cheek, Steve turned his head to Peggy as she rubbed his arm and tried her best to give him a reassuring smile “Try to enjoy yourself” she whispered as she rubbed his hand.

Steve smiled to her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before Philip spoke up “Right, well shall we get on our way?”

“Yeah” Steve nodded, smiling to Peggy and Elizabeth once before he was led through the other way of the palace that leads to the back, where their land rover was that they take when going hunting.

Elizabeth looked to Peggy “He seems awfully nervous”

“I think he will be for a while, he just needs to settle” Peggy shrugged, glancing to the hall that he and Philip went down “He’ll be fine”

“He’s with Philip” Elizabeth said, in a tone that suggests she was arguing against her. Peggy muttered a small laugh “Even so, I’m sure he’ll be fine”

“Let’s hope so” Elizabeth looked up the stairs and pointed in the direction to her study “Shall we?”

“We shall” Peggy nodded, following Elizabeth as she led the way.

They got up to Elizabeth’s study, poured themselves a cup of tea and soon got into conversation. Mostly about their family.

“She must think I’m stupid” Peggy started, then taking a sip of her tea and going on to say “She’s blatantly on the phone to Peter and having secret little meetings with him and acting like I don’t know, she knows full well that I know. She’s the one who bloody well told me”

“Perhaps it’s Peter. Perhaps he has asked her to keep quiet, not tell you about what they have been doing”

“Well it’s hardly as if I would ask. But it isn’t as if I would shoot her down for just mentioning she was with Peter”

“Oh let it be” Elizabeth said with a light laugh “How’s Steve doing anyway? Since being on the topic of significant others”

“It’s only been a few days but...he’s settling, as well as can be expected. I couldn’t imagine the change it must be”

“Where is he from? The accent is rather fair, it’s a nice accent. As nice as American accents may go”

Peggy muttered a small laugh and answered “Brooklyn, it’s just out of New York City, a fair twenty minutes perhaps. He’s been there all his life”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows for a brief second “Must be quite the change for him”

“Yes it is...but he says that he’s absolutely sure” she then had a tingly feeling in the bit of her stomach, suddenly a huge grin came on her face as she looked down to her hands and added “About me”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile as well, this was all she longed for. Her cousin’s happiness. Peggy’s practically a sister. And she has been alone and upset about Steve for so long.

“Well you’ve certainly done things better than I did. You remember don’t you? I courted Philip for months in private”

“So did I” Peggy laughed “With Steve of course, so to speak, we kept the letter thing a secret for months, it would have lasted longer if you hadn’t have caught me” she smirked, taking her tea back to her lips. Elizabeth let out a small smile and looked away from her for a moment.

Peggy took a breath and swiftly moved onto another subject “Have you...have you seen Granny?”

Elizabeth looked back to her, slowly she rubbed her lips together as she thought on what to say, till eventually she just nodded “Yes, yesterday evening”

“Did you mention me?”

“You know I did” Elizabeth said in a soft voice “I don’t like this situation with her just as much as you...but…”

Peggy cocked an eyebrow “But?...Go on. What’s she said?”

Elizabeth sighed and put her tea on the table, putting her hands together and staring at Peggy for a moment before going on to say “She said you’ve disgraced her. Gone against the family’s values. It’s all to do with what happened with Edward-”

“I know. I know and I understand that. I understand that she’s still hurt by what he did but” Peggy shook her head and let out an airy laugh “For Christ sake. It’s not the same”

“I told her that”

“And?”

“And she said that she can’t and won’t change how she feels. She loves you. But she can’t get past this...Peggy you and Granny have always had a rocky relationship. You were the first granddaughter she had and I think she had higher hopes for you than myself or Margaret and so on...she expected you to swan off with some charming prince, as if it were something out of a fairytale. This isn’t your fault, it’s just the things that Granny had in her head, she can’t shake it. My point is, you’ve always had a rocky relationship, which means you can come back from this”

Peggy found herself shaking her head “No, I don’t think we will. You’re forgetting she’s a stubborn old boot”

“Well, you know where you got it from”

“I could say the same to you” Peggy fired back with a small smirk. Elizabeth scoffed a light laugh and shook her head “Let the dust settle, leave it a few small weeks and _then_ go to see her. I don’t think even she would have the heart to turn a granddaughter away, not at this stage”

Peggy’s brows pinched together “What do you mean by that?”

Elizabeth frowned “She’s not well, she’s sick. The doctors say that she may never get out of bed again”

Peggy sighed and scratched her forehead. Her grandmother was no spring chicken, she was a heavy smoker at the ripe age of 85. But still, it hurt to hear, especially with her Uncle only just passing a mere few weeks ago.

Elizabeth put her hand on Peggy’s hand for a moment “Please, Peggy just think about it”

“I promise. I will”

She gave Elizabeth a small reassuring smile and then the two women moved onto more lighter subjects.


	7. Chapter 7

Peggy did as Elizabeth advised and left it for a while. Longer than weeks. She left it  _ months _ . Three to be exact. It may be awful of her to think that she was surprised her grandmother was still alive and kicking. The reason she left it was purely because she had Michael, Elizabeth, Margaret and any other member of her family who saw her that she was still pissed and to save herself any embarrassment in being rejected at the door. She waited. 

She wasn’t on bed rest, not exactly. She got out of bed, but she never left her house. Which was an effort to walk around on it’s own never mind roaming around London. Apparently she was happy. Which is one thing they had in common.

Three months with Steve and it felt like three years. He was settled in relatively well now. He and Philip actually got on, very well in fact. He was less nervous around everyone, well Elizabeth still made him slightly fearful but through no fault of her own. She was kind and just as charismatic with him than she is with the rest of the family. It was simply her being the Queen that made him so nervous around her still.

They had still kept that promise they made months ago about saving the concept of consummating their relationship until marriage. Though, she would admit to her two loving cousins on a few questions when asked just how difficult that was. She never imagined it would be so challenging. Still, she kept too it like she promised herself and God for that matter. She did find herself sneaking into his bedroom some nights. But nothing happened, she just wanted to be held.

Like this morning for example. Peggy woke up to Steve kissing her shoulder, which made a grin that was so wide it began to pinch her cheeks grew on her face. She turned on her back and put her hand on his cheek as she looked at him “Hello”

“Hi” Steve said with a smug smile on his face. Smug because he got to look at her everyday and kiss her every second of everyday. He leaned down pressed his lips against hers that she most certainly sunk into without any hesitation. Her hands ran to his back and dig her fingers into it as she gripped onto him tightly. He wasn’t complaining.

Steve gently kissed her nose a second after having her lips away from his and asked “So. Is today the day?”

Peggy looked to the ceiling and muttered “Regretfully...maybe I should just leave it”

“No. Peggy. You’re going”

“She thinks that I have turned my back on my family for my american working class man” Peggy said bluntly as she looked back to him. There was a long pause. Steve didn’t exactly understand her point. Peggy shrugged and added “Let’s  _ let  _ her think that”

Steve laughed and pressed his forehead against her shoulder as she went on to say “What? If she thinks so little of me to think that then let her, why should I try to prove her wrong?”

Steve looked back to her and made her see reason by saying “Because she’s your grandmother. You love her and if she does only have so much time left on this earth, you know damn well you wouldn’t want her leaving here thinking that her eldest granddaughter didn’t give a damn”

Peggy just looked at him in silence, secretly damning to herself in her head because she knew he was right. Steve raised his brows to her and slowly nodded “Look, there’s not even any guarantee that she’d let you in. I know that seems like a negative but at least you would have gone. Her saying no would be on her. She would be the one not making effort not you...you’d look like the better person”

“And you know how much I want to be the better person” Peggy said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He couldn’t tell whether she was being sarcastic or not. Which she was, a little. About 60% was and 40 was her being serious. Peggy pulled away and slapped her hands on his shoulders as she looked to his eyes again. She sighed and rolled her eyes “Fine. I’ll go”

“Good little Princess” Steve teased, flashing her his cheeky smile which made her swat his arm to move it so she could out of bed. Steve laughed and lay on his back, watching her get out of bed. She slipped on her silk robe that matched her pyjamas. She looked down at him and played a stereotypical posh woman that Steve and his little Commando buddies always mocked “Now. I shall be off to my chamber. I will see you in the dining room for a splendid breakfast”

Steve squinted his eyes to her with a smirk “Don’t try and pretend that’s not something you’ve actually said to be in the past”

“Oh quiet” Peggy rolled her eyes, quickly snapping out of her act. Hearing Steve laugh as she reached the door, he called to her “You’re not as much of the perfect princess that they think you are”

Peggy smirked and took a step back to look at him in the bed, she nodded to his point “You’re right” her smirk then grew as she raised a brow and added “I’m better”

Steve bit his lip as he smiled and nodded, his eyes not being able to help themselves but look at her up and down, scanning every individual part of her body that was in his view. Peggy looked at him do so, seeing that he wasn’t even aware that he knew he was gaping so much, she slowly shook her head and said in a mocking tone “God. You want me so bad”

Steve jumped and looked up to her, he tilted his head and gave her a slightly amused expression. Peggy bit her lip before teasing once more “It’s  _ adorable _ ”

Steve watched her step to the door again and heard it close as she left. He spread his arms out and fell back onto the bed. Letting out grumbled, frustrated laughs.

Peggy waked down the hall, almost doing the same. 

* * *

Peggy was surprised when her grandmother’s staff come over to her and told her that her grandmother had allowed her to go through and see her. She thought for a moment that they may have the wrong woman. That her grandmother may have the wrong woman. Maybe she thought it was Margaret. Peggy walked in and saw her grandmother lay in bed. Looking extremely fragile, like she had never seen before. Usually she seemed so tall and strong. 

Peggy cleared her throat and muttered “Granny” she was allowed by her to kiss her cheek. Peggy sat down in the chair and said “Half of me thought you were expecting Margaret”

“You are Margaret”

Peggy gave her a look and said “You know who I mean”

“Yes well” Mary muttered as she picked up a cigarette from the side and lit it. Peggy sighed as she untensed and said to her “I can’t imagine those are helping you with your condition”

Blowing out a puff of smoke into the air, Mary looked back to her and asked coldly “Are you here to talk about my smoking problem? Or do you have something else in mind?”

“...I haven’t seen you in weeks. Months even”

“Yes. Well we both know the reason behind that” she saw how hurt Peggy then became. She looked to her hands and shook her head “I can’t help who I fall in love with”

“That is exactly what your Uncle said”

Peggy looked up and sighed “It’s not-the situation is” Peggy groaned and held her breath and gathered her thoughts “In falling for Steve I have not tossed anyone under the bus. Like Edward did”

“You have put your cousin-no. She isn’t even your cousin. Your  _ sister,  _ in a very awkward position”

Peggy shook her head and argued back “Elizabeth is happy for me. She doesn’t feel awkward in the slightest….I hate to be the one to tell you this, Granny, but the only one who feels awkward in all of this is you. Because one of your son’s back stabbed the other”

“Your mother certainly agreed with me”

“Because she wants to please you. That’s all that we do. Tip toe around you-”

“You have  _ never  _ been like that so don’t act as if you were”

Peggy bit her lip and refused to go there. She would not go into the deep past of what she was like growing up. Peggy cleared her throat and scratched under her nose to then go on and say “I’ve come to ask...if you will move past this”

Mary looked to her and then shook her head, looking away from her “I cannot”

Peggy frowned. Not knowing whether to be surprised about that answer or not. Perhaps deep down she knew that she wouldn’t be able to change her mind, but she was hoping. Peggy rubbed her lips together and just tried to think, she then came up with an idea “What about Steve?”

Mary scoffed “What about him?”

“Would you...would you at least meet him. Perhaps you’ll see why I fell for him”

Mary’s head snapped to her and said in a more stern voice “Absolutely not! I will not meet that man”

“Granny-”

“Margaret do  _ not  _ bring him here” she took her shaky, old finger and pointed it to her “I will not see him. Do not even dare to bring him to my house”

Peggy sighed and whispered to herself “Oh granny...” she opened her eyes and looked to her again “Even if it means that you won’t see me again?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I both know that you will never leave this bed or this house again...and I can’t carry on to come visit you when I know you are against the life I have chosen to have...Granny this is entirely down to you”

Mary looked at her and shook her head “I can’t look past this, Margaret. As God as my witness, I can’t...it is against our family values”

Peggy sighed again and then shook her head “Then I’m truly sorry that it has come to this”

Peggy stood up and briefly put her hand on hers, giving her a tight. Broken smile. She saw that her grandmother was clearly upset by all of this, but again she was just too stubborn. Too proud at all of these old traditional expectations. 

“I love you, Granny. Please remember that. But I can’t choose between this family and the man I love...I did that four years ago and it killed me”

Mary said nothing more, she just stared at her, with a glum look on her face, she leaned down and kissed her forehead. Feeling herself get upset, she quickly pulled back and said “Goodbye, Granny” before quickly making her way out the door.

She had the car take her straight home. She got back and found Steve in the garden, reading the newspaper whilst Margaret was sat at the table, smoking and reading her novel. Steve looked up from the newspaper when he saw her come through the french doors. He smiled to her and then saw how drained and sad she seemed. 

Steve stood up and walked over to her “So?”

Peggy just shook her head at him and sighed “Nothing...I hate to say it but...I think that was the last time I’ll see her” her eyes suddenly filled up. She and her Grandmother had always been up and down, they could always log heads. But she was still her grandmother at the end of the day. She loved her.

Steve sighed, he hated the sheer sight of this. He wrapped his arms around her neck as she buried her head in his chest. Putting her arms around his waist. 

Steve closed his eyes and rested his head against hers as he put his hand on the back of her head.

“What did she say?” Margaret asked, eventually dragging her eyes away from her novel. Peggy lifted her head and looked to Margaret. Still being in Steve’s hold, she shrugged and said “I asked her to accept this...to even meet Steve. But she refused...Margaret I can’t-”

“I know. I admire you for being honest with her. I’ve still kept my mouth shut about Peter to her”

“It’s probably best” Peggy shrugged “After today, I’m even quite sure that it’s best”

Margaret nodded and looked back to her novel, with led Peggy to wrap herself back up in Steve.

* * *

_ 2 months later. _

“Have you spoken to your mother recently? Only you haven’t mentioned anything since you visited her last month with Steve” Elizabeth asked as she and Peggy walked down the halls of Buckingham palace, fitting in their at  _ least  _ weekly chat that they try to have together.

“Yes, the other week”

“And?”

“She likes Steve. She told me that, I recall five times. Also apologizing with how judgmental she was, though I know why she was...it takes no genius” Peggy said with a sad smile. At least she did. Elizabeth then let a small smile herself, only then to sigh and shake her head “No progress with Granny then?”

“No” Peggy said with an airy laugh, shaking her head “No. I’m afraid she burned our relationship to the ground after I saw her”

“I’m sorry”

“How is she?”

“She’s gotten worse” Elizabeth sighed out again. It was a shame, the woman was 86, she was nearing the end of her life. But still. It didn’t mean they were ready to say goodbye yet, her passing would leave a hole. They knew that. But she couldn’t stay with them forever. Elizabeth swiftly moved the subject back to what they were discussing before “Whilst being on the subject of you and Steve...why hasn’t he-”

“Proposed?”

“Yes, proposed”

Peggy shrugged with a disappointed smile “I am not the one that you should be asking, because I haven’t the faintest idea”

“You and he have been together for-”

“Five months, yes I know, most people get engaged after two. Then again I suppose this situation is hardly traditional”

Elizabeth shrugged and nodded “Yes, a fair point but still, Peggy,  _ five  _ months. If you were in the situation that Margaret and Peter are currently in then of course you would have to wait, but you are in no such position and you don’t have to wait”

Peggy stopped down the hall and turned to her “What would you like me to say? The truth is...I don’t think Steve knows what to do”

“I thought you said he was settled? He seems it to me”

“Yes. He’s settled in the aspect of being comfortable with the family, Michael certainly likes him, he and Philip get on splendidly you-well, still scare him every now and then but that is just the Queen situation. He and Margaret have a laugh together but regardless of all that he is still lost on what he can and can’t do. He has no money, perhaps he thinks he can’t get a ring...unless he’s not one for marriage”

“Nonsense what man isn’t one for marriage? Especially when you are the one they will be marrying”

Peggy smirked and shook her head as she teased “So charming, no wonder Philip married you” they carried on walking down the hall. Elizabeth get slowly lost in thought as Peggy went on to talk with other things.

If Steve was still nervous around her, which she wish he wasn’t but if he was. Perhaps she could use it to her advantage.

* * *

Steve had just gotten back to Clarence House after a day out with Philip and his friends, who were now Steve friends, he supposes. Just a few hours of brandy and talking. Well, he couldn’t stay by Peggy’s side every second of everyday. Philip encouraged him not to. As did Peggy, in fact. Not because she was sick of him, she’d never be sick of him. It was for his own benefit rather than anyone else's. 

Steve got back to the house where there was already one of the house staff waiting for him “Sir, her majesty the Queen is here. And had asked for you to see her”

Steve looked to him, surprised. Letting the words sink in “She’s here now?”

“Yes, Sir, in the West drawing room”

Steve slipped his hands in his pockets and looked to the West side of the house, he cleared his throat and nodded as he quickly made his way down the hall and to the drawing room. Thank the lord he managed to getting round the house to a tee. He wouldn’t want to keep her waiting too long.

He made it to the drawing room, opening the door. He saw Elizabeth sat in one of the chairs, standing up as he walked through the door and gave him a warm smile. Steve also smiled to her and walked towards her “Ma’am”

Steve took his hand and kissed the back of it, before motioning down to the chair that she was sat on as he sat on the one facing her “I trust you and Philip had an enjoyable outing”

“Yeah” Steve said with a small laugh along with a nod “It was a good day”

“Good, Philip does say how he enjoys your company”

“Well, that’s good to hear” Steve smiled. Philip was always so sarcastic and had dry jokes that Steve found it hard to tell if he was being serious or not. Peggy assured him that Philip was never being serious.

Elizabeth put her hands together and paused for a moment “I am here to ask you one thing”

Steve raised his brows “Okay?”

She stared at him for a moment and asked “Do you intend on marrying my dear cousin?”

Steve swallowed thickly. He didn’t quite know what he was expecting for her to ask but it certainly wasn’t something like that. Though, now that he thought about it. He couldn’t say that he was surprised he was being asked such a thing. Steve fidgeted in his seat as he cleared his throat, taking a moment, he the nodded with a warm smile “Yeah. Of course I do, I love her”

“Oh there is no question about that...but with all due respect, Steve, five months is a long time to go without asking the woman you love to marry you...I’m not one to judge or put my nose in other people’s business...but if things went how they usually do”

Steve took a breath and nodded “Does she feel like I...don’t want her?”

“No. Nothing like that. She has the impression that you aren’t sure what to do. Regarding proposing in this situation”

“She would be right” Steve admitted with an embarrassed smile “It’s not that I don’t want to marry her, because I do. I just...well I have no money. I don’t work. How did Philip?”

“Marriage within this circle is more...sentimental, if you may. My engagement ring were diamonds from Philip’s mother...may I suggest something?”

“Of course”

“First of all, you cannot ask Peggy to marry you without the blessing of her mother. It would be my late Uncle but sadly he is no longer here for that to happen. I suggest you pass this through Michael as well. Which, by what Peggy has told me, won’t be too hard to get given that she actually is quite fond of you. Michael also. In her possession is a ring, her mother’s ring. Peggy’s grandmother who passed away many years ago, the ring was always saved for Peggy. Michael wasn’t too pleased that he couldn’t have it for his wife...my point is, Steve. If you go to her mother and Michael, you  _ will  _ get their blessing and she will give you the ring...the rest is easy from then on out”

Steve kind of felt embarrassed. Embarrassed that he couldn’t come that he couldn’t come up with that himself. He had to break that wall in his mind that makes him too nervous to say anything to these people. These royals who have accepted him and treated him just like they treat each other.

But he had also not been exactly focused on marriage, not as if it was some kind of militant duty. They were both so happy, these five months flew by. Even Peggy didn’t have the chance to think about why he wasn’t proposing, because it only felt like yesterday that she had him back. Time got the best of them before they knew it.

The press began to talk in fact, whether they have kept to their promise to god. Since they always look so intimately in love. Which they were, just with a different kind of intimacy. Elizabeth also knew the truth, if they had of done such a thing. Peggy would have told her.

“I know you’re here because Peggy is practically your sister and you want to look out for her...but you’ve also helped me by that so, thank you, Elizabeth”

“That may be the first time you have said my name without a shred of nerves. What a nice change” Elizabeth quipped.

Steve let out a breathless laugh and nodded “Felt good for me too”

Elizabeth quietly laughed and then stood up “Well, I can’t stay for long. Things to do”

“Sure” Steve shot up, giving the back of her hand another kiss “Thank you for coming”

Elizabeth left, feeling rather proud of herself.

* * *

Steve called through to Peggy whilst she was still at Buckingham with Elizabeth and now Margaret had joined her. He told her that Michael had asked to see him, he wanted to ‘bond’ with his future brother in law. Which was something that he has said in the past. He was just going to go so that he could actually get to be his brother in law. He wanted to waste no time, there was no time like the present. 

Steve asked the driver to take him to Michael’s house, where their mother now lives with him and his family. It was more than big enough. A castle of it’s own really. It was quite a trek though, Steve had to stop himself from falling asleep every now and then. But soon he got there. Michael was informed that Steve was on his way, so he was already by the door when he arrived. Michael smiled kindly to him as Steve out of the car, he held his hand out to him and shook it “Michael, great to see you again”

“You too, Steve” Michael said as he gave Steve’s arm a slap “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wanted to talk to you and your mom. If she’s here”

“She’s always here” Michael laughed, then stepping into his house and motioning his hand for Steve to follow. Steve said his hellos to Michael’s wife, Amanda, and their children before going to another room where Peggy’s mother was. Steve showed his respects by kissing her hand and then sat down in front of them, with his hands linked together.

Both Michael and her mother had a feeling on what this was about. It was only a matter of time, in fact they looked to each other and smiled. Subtly of course, they didn’t want Steve to catch on that they had the idea. Steve cleared his throat and looked to his hands, that were more clutched together now to prevent them from seeing that he was shaking.

After another brief second of silence, he spoke “I...Peggy and I have been together for five months now, even though it seems longer. Feels like years” he lightly laughed in regards of his own nerves and then carried on “I know what people have been thinking, that five months is long without the arrangement of marriage...the reason I haven’t is not because I don’t want to. It’s actually the opposite...I just didn’t know how to go about it” he soon grew a small smile “But after the help from her majesty, Elizabeth, I know what I have to do”

Steve took a breath and looked between them, his expression softened “I love your daughter, your sister, more than anything. And I’m here today. To ask for your blessing, for me to ask for her hand in marriage”

Michael looked to his mother, who had her eyes on him. She then smiled to him as he did to her. They both were in agreement, they were as soon as Steve began to speak. They both looked back to Steve, Michael sat back on the couch, putting one leg on the other as his mother then said with a kind, welcoming smile “Steven, we would be more than happy to give you our blessing. You have it”

Steve let out a breathless grin, he bowed his head down for a moment and just smiled even more, looking back up to them, he vowed “I promise I will not let her or you down. Thank you”

Steve watched as she stood up, telling him to stay where he was, with Michael to be his company in her small absence. Michael looked to Steve and smiled “Well I was wondering when we were going to get this visit. Good old Elizabeth, ey?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t beat around the bush”

“No she doesn’t. Especially when it’s regarding Gidget” Michael mumbled as he reached for his drink, smiling again as he brought it to his lips “She’s quite assertive when it comes to helping her”

“I caught onto that as soon as I met her. After all the first time I met her. She locked me and Peggy in a room”

“She’s a minx, only us, the family, will ever know that”

Soon enough, they were joined again by Peggy’s mother, bringing in the thing that he needed the most. The little velvet box that contained what he’d put on her finger, she looked to him “I gather, Lilibet told you about this as well?”

“She did, ma’am”

“I thought as much” she opened the box to show the ring. It was a silver ring band, with a  _ regal  _ blue sapphire in the middle with a cluster of diamonds surrounding it. It was beautiful. It was elegant. It cost more than his home back in Brooklyn. But more importantly, it was Peggy. It screamed her name.

Steve looked to her with caution, but she laughed and empathised the box in her hand “Take it, it won’t bite you”

Steve took the box in his hands and looked at it more intently. Hearing Michael sigh and say in self pity “I wanted that blasted thing”

“Well. Your granny left it to Margaret, she made damn sure that when the time came. Margaret would wear this on her finger”

Steve looked up to them both and smiled as he closed the box “Sorry bout that Michael”

Michael shrugged “Ah well. I’ve been married now for seven years, I must have got it right” he said as he stood. Steve then followed. Michael stuck his hand out and shook Steve’s hand “Congratulations, Steve. All you have to do now is to get my little sister to say yes”

His mother then rose “Which will be no problem at all, Margaret is mad about you” she shot a glance to Michael to stop him from trying to spook Steve. He was only teasing. Steve just laughed, smiling to his future mother in law “Thank you, ma’am, for everything”

“Of course, Steve. We’ve been wanting this almost as much as you have” Steve leaned forward and kissed both of her cheeks.

Soon he left, got in back in the car and had his eyes fixed on the ring the whole journey home. 


	8. Chapter 8

Steve waited three days. He couldn’t have done it too soon. Considering three days ago it was the anniversary of Elizabeth and Philip. That would just be raining on their parade. They did have the most wonderful night that night. A lovely party surrounding family and friends.

Philip had gotten Elizabeth a new extravagant necklace that she lost her breath at. It was a night that showed once again that despite the bickering and hard times they go through as a couple, they are still madly in love.

So he waited. Three days seemed a good enough day. Steve woke up in the morning, by himself. With the box locked safe in the drawer. As soon as he got up. He paced up and down his room, going over what felt like his lines. Muttering quietly to himself “You are the woman I’ve always dreamed of...no that’s dumb”

He rubbed his forehead and groaned as he ran his fingers through his floppy morning hair “I have spent what feels like my whole loving you- _ crap _ ” he hit the palm of his hand against his bottom bed post and then gripped onto it as he stopped pacing. Taking a breath in order to not get too frustrated with himself. But this had to be perfect. Not just for him, to settle his nerves and panic. It had to be perfect for her, she had been waiting her whole life for this moment. As most little girls do. Plus with the pressure she had since she hit woman hood to marry. Thus had to be worth the wait for her.

Steve got dressed and went downstairs to grab some breakfast. He had slept in a little and was informed that Peggy was waiting for him at the stables. He quickly grabbed something to eat and scoffed it down, in a very unflattering manner so it was a good job he was alone and then took the keys to their land rover and drove down to the stables.

When he got there, he saw Peggy stood by her horse. Whose name was Edwin. A name that Philip has said is far too human to use for a horse but she liked it. So she’d tell him to shut up. Steve parked the car up and got out, walking towards her, Elizabeth and Margaret as they chatted about God knows what.

He smiled to them all “Ladies” he then looked to Peggy and muttered as he took his lips to her cheek “Hi, baby”

Peggy looked to Margaret and Elizabeth, who had their brows raised. Margaret looked to Steve and said with a hint of wit “Baby. That’s new”

Peggy shrugged and snickered, with her hand falling to his chest “An American thing” she looked to Steve and grinned “Though I quite like it”

Philip then came up from the other side of her horse “Perhaps I should give it a try”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and said in an airy laugh “You should stick to  _ darling _ , dearest”

Philip smiled to her and nodded “Quite” he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead “Well I’m off, Steve, are you joining today?”

“Not today, Philip. Spending some time with Peggy”

“Ah yes. Time with the better half. I remember that” He mocked, getting a firm back handed pat in his stomach from his beloved. Causing him to just laugh at himself, rubbing Elizabeth’s back and then walking off “See you later”

The four of them watched him walk off, Steve nodded to him and asked Elizabeth “Where’s he actually going?”

Elizabeth just shrugged, her eyes still latched to her husband “Probably one of those god awful gentlemen’s clubs”

“How god awful are they?” Margaret asked Steve, causing all three women to have their eyes on him. Steve swallowed thickly “Well...I’ve only ever gone to two of em…” he looked to Elizabeth, seeing the look on her face and shrugged “Yeah they can get pretty dull”

Peggy knew he was sugarcoating, not necessarily lying, but he was still laying things on sweetly. Well, to what they want to hear. Perhaps he did get a bit lost in them, but dull wasn’t the word he really thought of and she knew that. He saw her smiling to him and simpered. She patted his chest and then said as she turned to her horse “Come on then, darling, let’s get going”

Steve watched her effortless mount her horse. He wasn’t so graceful. Steve didn’t exactly have his own horse. He used Philip’s, he hardly rides him. If at all anymore. So Philip said he could use him whenever he pleased. He was black and was called Chappy. Peggy could easily mock him for picking that as name, but she wouldn’t stoop to his snarky level. Steve went and got Chappy out of his stable and mounted it over one failed attempt, he did it whilst beside his stable so he didn’t humiliate himself in front of the ladies and then trotted out to her.

Peggy raised her brows to him, impressed “Look at you, you’re getting there”

Steve muttered a small laugh as he glanced down to his horse and just nodded with a smug smile written across his face. Peggy laughed and looked down to her cousins “See you both later”

“Have fun” Elizabeth smiled as she tucked her hands in her pockets, Margaret just looked at her with a smug smirk. Peggy and Steve soon set off on their ride. They kept it at a steady pace, she looked to him and with a smug smile on her face she challenged “Come on”

Steve took his attention to her from looking straight ahead and watched her race off with her horse. Something that he hadn’t quite mastered yet. But he tried his best, didn’t catch up with her though, which was no real surprise. They stopped off by the lake that Peggy, Margaret and Elizabeth used to play at together as children. It’s where their parents took them when going out for picnics. Now it was just a place where they went for some alone time, with or without their partners.

* * *

They left their horses to eat as much grass as they pleased just a couple meters away from them. Steve sat with his back up against the trunk nearest to the river, with Peggy sat between his legs, the back of her head resting on his chest. His arms wrapped around her, his lips firmly pressed against the back of her head.

This would be a good moment. He sensed that. Which is why he had the box in his pocket. He heard Peggy speak up after a long silence “Philip and Elizabeth seem loved up lately, I think the effect of their anniversary is taking it’s toll”

“They deserve it” Steve shrugged. Peggy sighed and nodded “Certainly, they do. I will be the first one to admit that. But it will only be a matter of time before Elizabeth will be swept up by another crisis, this god forsaken job taking her away from us again, taking her away from him more importantly”

“Must suck” Steve murmured.

“Yes, it does suck. I’ve spent my whole life protecting her, looking after her. I’m was used to having her by my side.  _ I  _ was her ad visor, her guide. I still resent Edward for mucking that up” Peggy turned her head to him and smiled “Still, at least I have you”

“You do” Steve whispered, kissing her cheek “We’ve defied some odds haven’t we”

“Lord yes” Peggy avowed “By all  _ natural  _ means of this life you and I should never have exchanged a sentence, never mind fallen in love...you make me feel free”

Steve smiled and kissed her again. He put his hand over his pocket and felt the box, just making sure it hadn’t of slipped out. Peggy’s attention went to her horse, who got his reins stuck on a branch “God, silly bugger” Peggy whisper, putting her hands on Steve’s knees and pushing herself up. Walking over to it.

Now was his chance, Steve stood up too, tucking his hands in his pocket. Watching as she untangled Edwin’s reins, then laughing at him for neighing at her as she did as and patted his back. She looked to Steve, seeing him now stood. He looked at her in a way that told her that he had something to say. She genuinely didn’t have the faintest idea what it was about.

Peggy raised a brow to him as he walked towards her “Are you alright, darling?”

“Yeah. Yeah I just…” Steve focused his eyes on her, with warmth and love. A small smile crept on his face, when she was stood right in front of him, he put his hands on her cheek. Embracing just the way she looked in this moment. How she looks in every moment, effortlessly beautiful. It was her soul he fell for though. He saw straight through it as soon as he saw her those years back.

“I love you, you know that”

Peggy let out a warm, overwhelming grin “I know...and you know that I you”

“I do. And” he cleared his throat as he dropped his hand to hers “And before you, my life putting myself on the line, sleeping rough everyday, having no real course in my life. Which I thought was all I needed. Till I met you. You gave my life real meaning and I...I never thought I’d fit in here, but you helped me through it and made me happier than I’d ever though I’d be” he smiled to her again “And I intend to return the same happiness”

“You already do”

“Maybe” he said with a soft, nervous laugh “But what I’m trying to say is...is that I want to make that  _ vow  _ to you”

Peggy face then slowly dropped to be shocked, gradually coming to the conclusion in her head as to what it was that he was implying. Steve could tell that she had caught on too, so with nerves still making his hands shake, he put his hand back in his pocket and slowly got down on one knee, hearing her breath get caught in her throat. Steve took a deep breath and opened the velvet box to her, with the ring now being visible to her.

She hadn’t seen this in years. She remembered when her grandmother said that it will one day be hers, she was only ten when she past and didn’t think anything of it at the time. But as she grew older, she wanted it badly. And now it was going to be hers. With her jaw slightly dropped, she looked back to Steve who went on to say “I love you with every bone in my body. I can’t express that enough. We’ve been through alot. Both when together and when we were on different continents. This has been a long time coming, getting five years to be exact” he hitched his breath with a smile “You’re everything I’m ever going to want and need...will you marry me?”

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she bit her lip as she grinned and nodded. Then saying in a breathless whisper “Yes”

Steve grinned to her, taking the ring out of the box. His hands were still shaking, as were hers now as she held out her hand. Steve took hold and slipped the ring on her finger, he wrapped his arms around her waist as he shot up, lifting her feet up from the ground. Burying his face in her neck and she gripped onto him tight. Running her fingers through his hair for a moment, taking more overwhelmed breaths. She pulled her head back and pressed her lips against his. Passionately and lovingly. Tears still running down her cheeks, which he felt as his hands pressed against her cheek.

He lowered her back down onto the ground and cupped both of her cheeks, with his lips still on hers. Peggy then laughed as their mouths detached “I thought you’d never ask”

Steve then laughed “Sorry, wasn’t sure how to go ‘bout it. You can thank your cousin for it”

“My cous…” Peggy then remembered the conversation she last had about this. More importantly she remembered who with. Peggy laughed again, putting her hands to the back of Steve’s head, going in for another kiss “Oh, God bless the Queen”

* * *

They returned back to the stables at Buckingham. There they had word that everyone was there. Elizabeth, Philip, Margaret and her Aunt. She would have to call her mother and Michael later on, though they already knew so to speak.

Peggy asked to call for them all to the living room that she and Steve were in. Hoping the staff had the right one in their minds. This place has like a million. But they did get it right, and soon they all came in. Peggy had her right hand covering her left. Covering up the ring. Philip looked to them all, individually around the room “Why do I get the sense you have done something?” he said as he took his eyes to Peggy, with his brows raised.

Causing Peggy to roll her eyes “We just have something to say...something to tell you all” she saw the nervous look on her Aunt’s face. Clearly nervous within herself that she was going to end up being disappointed. Hopefully she wouldn’t be, as far as she was aware. She too was fond of Steve.

Peggy looked to Steve, who just smiled at her and nodded. Peggy rubbed her lips together, after quietly clearing her throat, she took her left hand out from under her right and held it out for them all to see. Margaret gripped to her mother’s sleeve as they both gasped. Philip just raised his brows with a smirk written across his face. Elizabeth then too had a smile plastered across her face, secretly once again feeling proud of herself, knowing that she gave him the nudge.

Margaret of course approached them first as they stood, Margaret wrapped her arms around Peggy, letting out a laugh “It’s wonderful!” she kissed her cheek and rested her head on her shoulder again. Then making her way over to Steve after her mother had given her congratulations, her Aunt came over to her, put her hands on her arms and kissed her cheek “Congratulations, darling”

“You’re happy for me? Truly?” Peggy softly said with a small smile.

“Yes, I am. I just want your happiness, as do we all” Her Aunt put her hand on her cheek and smiled. Before Philip came bouncing over and gave her a firm kiss at her temple “It’s about bloody time I’d say”

“As would I” Peggy smirked, putting her hand on his arm. He winked to her and whispered “You’ll be looking forward to the wedding night rather than the day”

“Oh.  _ Philip _ ” Elizabeth sighed as she came up behind him, lightly slapping her hand to her back. Philip looked to her “I was just saying darling-”

“I don’t care. Just go” Elizabeth said with exhaustion. Making Philip laugh as she playfully pushed him away, portraying a serious look on her face. She rolled her eyes as she looked to Peggy with a warm smile “He can be ever so crude”

Peggy shrugged “That’s why you like him”

Elizabeth didn’t wager on the subject, she just kissed Peggy’s cheek before giving her a warm embrace. Peggy smiled and whispered in her ear “Thank you”

“A pleasure, truly” Elizabeth said as they pulled back. Peggy looked at her for a moment and then said “I want to appoint you as my maid of honour”

Elizabeth’s smile grew “Good gracious, are you sure?”

“Yes. I can’t think of anyone better” she then quickly whispered “Don’t tell Margaret I said that”

God bless Margaret, Peggy loved her but she knew how carried away she would get. Elizabeth smiled and nodded “It would be an honour” she then smirked “ _ Literally _ ”

“Bloody hell” Peggy whispered at the poorly delivered joke.

Soon enough Philip fetched for a bottle of champagne to make this celebration more  _ like  _ a celebration.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days. The went planning ahead straight away. That’s the thing about royal weddings, they usually happen within the month of the engagement. Peggy was going to have to release an official statement today for the press. Who still had no idea, which was nice. It was nice to have some control even if it was for a few days. 

Steve wasn’t good in front of cameras. Never has been. But it didn’t exactly matter, the press wanted to hear from her. Peggy put on her pearl necklace and looked to him in the mirror “Are you certain you’re alright with just me going out?”

Steve nodded “Yeah...better question is, you alright with it?”

Peggy gave him a light smile as she smoothed her dress down “Don’t worry about me, darling, I have been doing these sort of things for nearly ten years”

“Announcing your engagements?” he dryly joked.

“Public speaking” Peggy said with an airy laugh, putting her hands on his knees as he sat comfortable in the arm chair, leaning forward and pressed her lips against his for a brief, tender moment. She smiled to him and then gave him one more, quick kiss before standing up straight, then looking out the window to see the podium up outside of their home and the press gathering round.

Peggy heard Martin clear his throat “Your highness, the press are ready for you”

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting” Peggy put her hand on Steve’s cheek for a brief moment, giving him a small smile and then making her way outside. As soon as she stepped out the door, the cameras flashed in her eyes. Hence why she kept her head down to avoid the blindness.

Peggy cleared her throat and gave them a tight smile, which stopped them flashing their cameras to listen to what it was that she had to say, Peggy had her hands tucked behind the podium.

“Thank you for coming today. As I am sure you are itching to know why I am standing in front of you today, with an announcement to make, wanting to know whether it is good or bad news”

This was why she was liked by the public, she was witty, wasn’t afraid to speak in a way that would make the people feel that she is  _ one of them _ . Peggy smiled to them as they mumbled laughs and then carried on “It has been known, for many months now, that I have had a relationship with Steven Grant Rogers. Most of you may not know that he was a private in the second world war, and has become my sole companion. We want to thank the news press and television press for the support we have received in regards to our relationship. And it is with great pride and happiness to announce the official engagement between myself and Steve Rogers”

The crowd of press soon got rowdy with questions, the cameras soon started to flash again. But she wasn’t going to answer their questions only the one thing “We are scheduling the wedding for next month. That is all I have to say regarding my wedding as of now, thank you”

She put up her left hand to wave, on purpose. She knew they wanted a looked at the ring.

Peggy quickly made her way back into the house, with Martin along with a few more members of staff defusing the press and shooing them off. Peggy looked to Steve, who was stood at the bottom of the stairs, with a smitten smile on his face as his hand pressed against his lips. Peggy shrugged to him with a grin of her own and walked over to him, running her hands over the side of her body and kissing as she wrapped her arms around his waist “Quicker than I expected” Steve muttered as he brought his lips from hers.

“It’s better that way, if you go on they just pull you apart with questions”

“Good point” Steve whispered, kissing her forehead.

* * *

“Your majesty, it is insisted that you attend this banquet with the Duke” Tommy said, following her around into her drawing room. Elizabeth rolled her eyes before turning around to him.

Saying a polite yet stern voice “And as I have said, I am afraid I shall have to reject this request”

“With all due respect, ma’am, this is important”

“And with all due respect to you, Tommy, my cousin’s happiness is  _ more  _ important” Elizabeth chided. Her expression more stern and serious “My duty as a  _ sister  _ falls to be more important to me than being the crown at this moment in time. Peggy has made sacrifices in the past to support me and I am determined to do the same for her, now apologise on my behalf. Lie if you feel it to be necessary, inform them that the Duke and I have a cold. But regardless, I still stand. My duty is with Peggy and it will stay with Peggy”

Tommy sighed as Elizabeth walked over to her desk, resting her hand against it and then added “I realise I may seem to you as being difficult. But I am also sure that you have turned down the odd party for a member of your family”

Tommy didn’t comment, but she was right. He can’t exactly judge her for turning this down. It was no secret how close Elizabeth and Peggy were. Tommy just bowed his head to her “Ma’am” and left the room.

Once he did, she couldn’t help but smirk and be proud of herself. She rarely has the _guts_ to turn down something such as what Tommy was trying to _tell_ her to. But she knew she was right. Her job as a sister was what needed to be on the frontline.

* * *

Peggy walked into the room she was ordered to go in, not even looking up as she removed her scarf and coat “Alright, what have you called me in for-” she looked up to see Elizabeth, Margaret, Her Aunt and Mother all stood in the room. With a flood of wedding gowns behind them on mannequins.

“Surprise!” Her mother exclaimed, walking over and taking her stunned daughter by the hand, leading her further into the room.

“What is all this?” Peggy asked, gaping at the dresses. Elizabeth glanced to her and nodded at them “Your dress fitting” she smiled as she looked back at her and smiled “Remember, Peggy? To think it was five years ago that we were here picking out my gown”

“Of course I do, our mother’s wouldn’t stop crying” Peggy said as she took her eyes to the ladies of the topic, who laughed with embarrassment and both waved their hands at her. To shut her up. The three young women let out individual laughs and then got down to work.

There was such a wide range of wedding gowns, Peggy could hardly keep up it them all. It was right now where it was truly sinking in that she was going to get married, she really was going to marry the man of her dreams. The man that hardly anyone in this lifestyle would accept. It was still a very surreal feeling. But she excited. Peggy was behind the screen doors, standing in front of a mirror. After ten dresses. She feels this is the one.

“Oh come on, Pegs!” Margaret called with a chocolate truffle in her mouth and a glass of champagne in one hand “We’re all going mad out here”

Peggy took a breath and stepped out. They all immediately stopped their chit chat and gasped as they saw her. The waist up was white lace and long sleeved. Waist down was pure white, it was taffeta material with silk underneath it. Of course there was the veil as well, which went perfectly with it all.

You could tell that Peggy loved it too, before she even said anything you could just tell. She just stood there with a hopeful look on her face, hopeful that they thought it was as stunning as she did.

Peggy raised her eyebrows “Well?”

She saw Elizabeth take in a deep breath with an overwhelmed look on her face, she gasped at herself and said as she looked away for a moment “Good grief, I think I’m going to cry”

“Mummy is crying” Margaret said, without even looking away from Peggy, she handed her mother on her left a handkerchief. Peggy looked to her own mother who already had her handkerchief to her eyes, she lightly laughed “Gracious Mummy, do I look that bad?”

“Oh stop it!” her mother exclaimed, waving her hand at her. Peggy took a step down from the little stage and Margaret quickly rushed over to make a fuss, putting her hand on the material of her long gown, she smiled and nodded, looking back up to Peggy “Absolutely beautiful”

Peggy squinted and pointed to her “Now, you’re not just saying that are you?”

Margaret giggled and slapped Peggy’s finger away. Peggy let out an amused breath and touched her cousin’s cheek “Thank you darling”

Peggy shifted her eyes to Elizabeth and teased “Bloody hell Lilibet, pull yourself together” Elizabeth wiped her tears and walked over to her “Hush you, you know damn well that you cried when it was me who was trying on wedding gowns”

“A valid point” Peggy muttered, Elizabeth now got a good look, she too nodded and smiled “As Margaret said, absolutely beautiful”

Peggy grinned and Elizabeth leaned forward and they kissed each other’s cheeks. Her aunt and mother soon made a fuss once regaining their composure, hugging to her tightly and saying how she was a stunning picture, a vision, every compliment in the book. If she wasn’t sure before she definitely was now, this was the dress.  _ Her  _ dress.

What was left for her to do now, is get married in it.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve stood at the door of Clarence house, rubbing his cold hands together and blowing hot air into them in attempts to warm himself up. Steve cleared his throat and then looked up as the car he had granted access to pulled up. He grinned, then laughed as his former war buddies practically fell out of the car and hollered at him. 

Tommy looked at them through the window on the top floor and scoffed, rolling his eyes. Calling them  _ riff raff  _ in his head.

Steve went down the steps as Bucky walked over to him with his arms up in the hair “Holy hell, look at you! Nancy boy”

Steve laughed “You’re still a jerk” he patted Bucky on the back as he went in for a brief, tight hug. Bucky smiled to him as he pulled away “And you’re gonna be an official member of the royal family tomorrow. Who'd've thought it?”

“I know” Steve laughed, turning his head as the rest of the howlies made their way over to him. Cheering at the top of their lungs and chanting as they picked him up and carried him into the house, they weren’t really one for having boundaries. Even if they were in a royal house. It startled the staff when they saw these nine men come bouncing into the home. Steve slapped on Dugan’s back who he could reach the best “Boys! Put me down”

They quickly dropped him and mocked him by pretending to be nervous and putting their finger to their mouths. Steve rolled his eyes “Yeah yeah I know. But trust me some people in here will beginning to think us yanks as a stereotype”

They all mumbled a laugh and then looked to the top of the stairs as they saw Peggy walk down, now they really shut up and shuffled together, standing up straight and tall. Steve smirked. Yeah, in front of her they behave themselves. Peggy got to the bottom of the stairs and looked at them all, with a kind smile “Howlies”

Every single one of them had their eyebrows shoot up. They don’t know what they were expecting her to say, something that was built on a stereotype of  _ ‘Charmed or How do you do?’ _

But instead, the princess introduced them through their nick name. Steve laughed and turned to her as she mumbled to him “You were right, that was quite fun, getting their reaction” 

Steve laughed and kissed her cheek as she slapped her hand on his. She took the final step down the stairs and stood in front of them “I believe the last time I saw you gentlemen, you were all getting hideously drunk”

The eight men swallowed thickly and then watch the princess smirk and say “It’s happened to the best of us. A pleasure to meet you all under more...sober circumstances” she held her hand out, they all shook and kissed her hand. Peggy slipped her hands back in her pant pockets and turned to Steve, she stepped forward, pressing her body against his ever so slightly, which did not go unnoticed by the guys “Well, I’m off...and I will see you tomorrow”

Steve grinned to her and nodded “Yeah, you will”

Peggy gripped onto his shirt and got up on her tiptoes as she gave him a light kiss. Then whispering in his ear “Please do not be worse for wear”

“I promise. Besides, you know I’m not that much of a drinker”

“Indeed” Peggy pulled away and added “But you are a pushover”

Steve muttered a small laugh and gave her a nod “Good point, but I promise to behave myself” he took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it “Promise, your highness”

Peggy rolled her eyes and then turned back around to the guys “I shall also see you all tomorrow”

They all nodded and said at the exact same time “Yes ma’am”

Peggy looked to Steve one more time and whispered “I love you”

“I love you”

Peggy slid her hand off of his and walked down the hall, out the front door, where she had the men’s eyes follow her. When she was gone, they all turned back to Steve and just stared at him in silence for a moment. He smiled and nodded “I know”

Bucky pointed to the front door with his thumb, his eyes still on Steve “She’s-”

“Incredible”

Dugan nodded and laughed “And way out of your league”

“I tell her that everyday” Steve smirked. Standing up straight from leaning against the banister. He nodded to down the hall “Let me give you the grand tour, fellas”

“Steve how the hell have you managed to control yourself around her?” Gabe asked. Steve turned and shushed them down with an amused smile, then muttering “The staff round this place hear you talkin’ about their princess like that then they’d have a heart attack”

“So the talks off limits” Bucky frowned. Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head “We ain’t staying here all night. Meeting up with Philip, some other guys and going out for drinks”

“As in Prince Philip?” Junior said with a shred of nerves. Steve turned to him and smirked “Yeah, unless you know any others?”

“What’s he like?” Pinkerton asked with a deep curiosity. You hear of Philip being a bit of a rebel around these parts, a rebel was far fetched. But he was very free spirited, maybe too much for his family in laws liking.

“He’s a good guy. Funny. You guys’ll like him I’m sure”

The boys all shared a glance, Bucky looked to Steve and slapped his hand on his shoulder “How’s this all treating you, Steve? We worry”

Steve once again stopped in his treks and turned back to him, raising his brows to them “Worry?”

“Yeah” Bucky shrugged, looking to the guys and saying “I mean news travels fast across the pond. The papers made it sound like the family weren’t a fan at first”

Steve shook his head “Apart from her grandmother who still refuses to meet me. Everyone else is great. Her mom was a little...she didn’t know what to think I guess but hey she loves me now, don’t worry guys...I’m happy here”

Dugan nodded and smile “Well good! That’s all we wanted for you, Steve. We just had to be sure” 

Steve shot them all a grateful look and nodded “Nice to know you’re still looking out for me”

Bucky’s eyes quickly went to a picture to the side of Peggy, Elizabeth and Margaret. He looked straight to the youngest Princess and smirked “And what is  _ she _ like?”

Steve looked to the picture of Margaret and laughed, slapping his hand on Bucky’s back “She’s brilliant and is very  _ very  _ complicatedly off the market”

* * *

Peggy sat down on the settee of Elizabeth’s study and heard her cousin ask as she was writing something down “And they are here now?”

“They are” Peggy looked over to Elizabeth as she looked up to her and then asked with a small smile “Are you worried about him?”

“They aren’t exactly the quietest of men. Add your Philip onto it and I shudder to think” Peggy laughed breathlessly as she tugged on the loose piece of fabric on one of her pillows.

“Peggy those men have known Steve for years. I’m sure he’ll be fine”

“No I know he will be. It’s just, with the wedding tomorrow I’m frightened he’s going to be terribly hungover” she laughed again. Elizabeth shrugged to her “I thought that about Philip. He turned up just fine, and if Philip can turn up fine then Steve is no problem whatsoever”

“That’s true” Peggy nodded, she looked back to Elizabeth and asked “What is it that you’re writing?”

“Honestly? I have no idea myself. Something for parliament. I’m sorry, I mustn't be much fun right now”

“It’s perfectly alright, you’re never fun” Peggy teased with a small smirk, getting a light amused expression come from Elizabeth before she rolled her eyes, Peggy gasped “The Queen rolling her eyes! What will Winston think?”

“Hilarious” Elizabeth muttered as she carried on writing. Peggy rested her head on the back of the settee and closed her eyes for a moment before saying “You could do with a spot of music in here”

“Please, Lord, do not let her sing”

Peggy looked over to her “I sing just fine”

“I  _ suppose  _ you can carry a tune or two”

“I suppose that too” Peggy said as she rested her head back to her original position. There was then a knock in the door and Tommy walked in, he didn’t expect Peggy to be here. He cleared his throat “Your Majesty. May I have word...in private?”

Peggy smirked and opened her eyes. Standing up from the settee, she turned and raised her brows to Elizabeth for a moment before turning back to Tommy and giving him a polite fake smile “Tommy”

Tommy gave her a tight smile and bowed his head “Your highness”

Peggy left Elizabeth to her Queen duties. The good thing was, at least Elizabeth had cleared her entire schedule tonight. It may be the first time in months that they were going to sit down and chat for hours like they used to. Like the family they once were.

* * *

Peggy found Margaret who said as soon as she watched her cousin walk to her “I thought you were talking to Elizabeth”

“I was shoved out” Peggy sighed as she stood in front of her at the settee. Margaret raised a brow to her “Oh? By who?”

Peggy put her finger over her top lip. Margaret squinted at her “Hitler?”

Peggy tutted and rolled her eyes, quickly dropping her hand from her mouth “No Tommy you twit”

Margaret laughed as Peggy sat herself down beside her. She rested beside her and looked to her from her head being on her older cousin’s shoulder “How does it feel, Peggy?”

Peggy looked to her and then looked back to the fire “How does what feel, Margaret?”

“To be getting married”

Peggy looked down to her and shrugged as Margaret sat back up and looked to her. Peggy thought for a moment about the question and then had a warm smile spread across her face as she felt a set of butterflies burst in her stomach.

“It’s exciting. Rather Scary. But exciting...I just, it’s all I ever wanted, and for it to be with a man that catches my breath every time I see him makes it all the more worthwhile” she looked to her hands and hummed a smile, then looking to Margaret and noticing her looking rather glum and it was obvious what it was about, Peggy put her hand over hers and said in a gentle voice “Now, I can’t have my little cousin look upset for my wedding. People will talk”

Margaret sighed and nodded “I know, I’m sorry. I just can’t stop thinking about Peter...how I will never get to marry him”

“Now who says that?”

“The church”

Peggy bit her lip, She didn’t quite know what to say to reassure her. The Church was just a sacred thing in all of their lives. Margaret took their faith just as serious than anyone else. But this  _ rule  _ wasn’t fair. Peggy rubbed Margaret’s hand and said “Times are changing, Margaret. It is more progressive these days, give it time. I am sure that you will be able to have what I am having with Steve. With Elizabeth now being the head of the Church, perhaps she will be able to eventually make it seen as acceptable”

Margaret smiled at the glimmer of hope that she had been given and nodded “Thank you for inviting Peter to the wedding, it meant a great deal to him. And me”

“Well of course, Peter is considered a friend. I hope he knows that”

“I’ll tell him if he doesn’t” Margaret laughed.

Later on that evening. Elizabeth stuck to her word and completely had her schedule completely wiped, her sister in law joined them. Then both of their mothers. They drank, not too much of course. Talked. It suddenly felt like the way it was five years ago. They were just missing Mary and George. One being alive and just stubborn makes it even worse. But Peggy didn’t focus on that. She just focused on the present, and couldn’t help but think about tomorrow. She felt like she would burst with excitement.

* * *

Steve opened his eyes the next morning. He took in a deep breath as he woke himself up more and more. He slowly sat himself up in bed and rubbed his eyelids. It then suddenly hit him. Today was the day. This was actually happening. He was actually getting married. To a Princess.  _ His  _ Princess. A moment that he never thought would happen. It had been a long hard road, filled with judgement and adapting to a world that he only ever saw in newspapers. 

But it was all worth it because it got him to this moment, to this day. Suddenly, he heard a constant banging on his door. Of course his friends had to be the loudest and most immature people on the planet when he was in a house filled with royal staff.

“You’re getting married today! Get up punk!” Bucky yelled on the other side and banged hard on the door. Steve dragged himself out of bed and ran over to the door. His eyes were hardly even fully opened “Would you guys shut it?”

They laughed and pushed him inside the room. Steve stretched and walked back into his bedroom, he sat down on the bed and looked over to the photo of Peggy that was beside him. He smiled and ran his finger down it. Hardly believing that in a matter of hours, she was going to be his wife. He was going to be her  _ husband _ .

And he could only imagine how beautiful she was going to look and he couldn’t wait to be stood at the top of that aisle and watch her walk towards him. That, he could not wait for at all.

And she couldn’t wait to walk down that aisle to him.

The palace was hectic, getting ready for the big day along with Peggy having to get ready in the midst of the madness. But they managed to get that done rather well. Peggy stood in one of the throne rooms. Soon enough she would be pacing. Luckily, Michael knocked on the door and walked in before that happened. He looked at his little sister, all dressed in her gorgeous white wedding dress. Ready to finally be someone’s wife. He smiled, with his hands behind his back and cleared his throat to grab her attention. Peggy sighed with relief “There you are, I was worried I was being forgotten about”

Michael laughed “The woman of the moment?” he scrunched his nose up and shook his head “Never”

Peggy walked towards him “Is the carriage here then, I take it?”

“It is” he smiled, then holding out his arm “Are you ready?”

“I’ve been ready for five years” Peggy grinned, linking her arm with his. Michael kissed her cheek and whispered to her as they walked out of the room “You look beautiful”

Peggy smiled and leaned closer to him. Walking down the stairs she found the rest of her family. Her mother, Aunt. Elizabeth and Margaret. Along with the other bridesmaids she had that were relatives. The same ones Elizabeth had, it was mostly a tradition and a form of politeness, she didn’t see them often.

The only woman missing was her grandmother. Of course she was invited, but they knew she wouldn’t come. They all smiled and gasped as they saw the beauty walk down the stairs. Peggy grinned at them all. Taking her arm out of Michael’s as she briefly talked with them. Elizabeth squeezed her arms and whispered “You look spectacular”

“Beautiful” Margaret added, the two sisters then giving their cousin a kiss on each cheek. Peggy smiled to them all and then dealt with the fuss that her mother gave her. Peggy laughed and rubbed her arm “Thank you, mummy. Now shall we actually get to the church so I may marry this man?”

They all laughed and then scurried towards the door to get to the church. Peggy took Michael’s arm again and they got into the royal carriage whilst the others went ahead in the cars.

Steve was of course already at the church. Stood at the front of the aisle, with Bucky stood behind him. After all he was the best man of course. The Howlies had to be a couple rows back to make room for the royals. Philip came up beside him and muttered “Are we nervous?”

Steve let out a deep breath and then let out a smile “More excited”

Philip raised his brows to him and gave him an impressed smile “Good. Because she’ll be here any second”

“She will?”

“I just heard. Eavesdropping. A terrible habit” Philip muttered to himself. He noticed how Steve’s face dropped to now being rather nervous. He laugh and slapped his arm “You’ll be fine”

Philip looked to Bucky and gave him an amused smirk and a nod. Steve was right when he said that Philip was a lot of fun, he and the Howlies got on like a house on fire. Philip quickly went back to his place to where he will sit. Bucky then came over to him and whispered “I don’t know how you managed to get here Steve but I am proud of you for doing it”

Steve smiled to Bucky and patted his shoulder “Thank you, Buck. Means a lot”

Suddenly. There were cheers coming from the crowds outside, Steve looked over his shoulder and saw Margaret and Elizabeth lead the bridesmaids down the aisle, along with his soon to be mother in law and Peggy’s Aunt Elizabeth. He smiled to them all as they past him to their seats at the front. Steve took in a deep breath and looked straight down the aisle. Seeing the carriage then pull up.

Bucky put his hand on Steve’s arm and muttered as he forced him to turn “You can’t watch her come through the door, dummy”

Steve cleared his throat and held his now shaking hands together, then looking up to part of the church that was in front of them. The music began to play to announce the arrival of the Princess. Steve took in another deep breath and glanced to Bucky, who gave him a reassuring and encouraging nod.

He turned and grinned as he watched her walk towards him, actually feeling emotional. Before he knew it, there she was, stood beside him. Steve looked to her and grinned. He savored this moment. Pinching his brows together to emphasize what he whispered to her “The most beautiful thing I have seen”

Peggy felt her eyes fill up already, damn him. She smiled and looked down to the floor for a moment. The vicar soon began “Dearly beloved. We are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony...who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”

Michael stepped forward and took Peggy’s hand “I wish father were here to do this for you” he whispered “But hopefully I am a good consolation”

“Only just” Peggy teased back in a whisper. Michael grinned to her and as they turned to face Steve, he looked to him and gave him an approving nod as he placed Peggy’s hand into his. Steve then returned a grateful nod to him before locking his eyes to Peggy and smiling at her.

“I, Steven”

“I, Steven” Steve repeated.

“Take thee, Margaret Elizabeth”

“Take thee, Margaret Elizabeth” Steve smirked at her. He always found that amusing. The two names in her full name being the same as the girls she spends 24/7 with. Peggy just gave him a small amused look but remained composed, she listened to him say the rest of the vows and then it was her turn.

“And I, Margaret Elizabeth”

“I, Margaret Elizabeth”

“Take thee, Steven”

“Take thee, Steven”

“To my wedded husband”

Peggy kept her eyes on him the entire time, with a smile filled with love and warmth. Not a shred of nerves or doubt because this felt so right to her “To my wedded husband”

“To have and to hold”

“To have and to hold”

“From this day forward”

Peggy raised a brow to him which made an amused smirk creep across his face “From this day forward”

“For better, for worse”

“For better, for worse”

“For richer, for poorer”

Steve then gave her a look which made her silently laugh. As if to say she already took him for poorer. He had never been rich in this whole whirlwind that was their romance. Peggy bit her lip and nodded “For richer, for poorer”

“In sickness and in health”

“In sickness and in health”

“To love and to cherish”

There would be no obey line in this vow. Peggy didn’t know why Elizabeth had it to be said. Perhaps because she was younger and more naive that she was expected to say it. But she certainly does not obey Philip, if anything it was the other way around. Besides, Steve wouldn’t want her to say that anyway. She wasn’t someone to take his orders, he didn’t even have orders to give out and if he did, he wouldn’t give them to her “To love and to cherish”

“Till death us do part”

“Till death us do part” Peggy took a breath.

There was then the exchange of rings. Usually in these days, men didn’t wear wedding rings. But Steve wasn’t exactly like every average guy, he wanted to wear a ring. He wanted to show off with pride that he was married and who to.

“And so, by the power vested in me. I now pronounce you man and wife” the vicar took his eyes to Steve and said with a gentle expression “You may kiss your bride”

Steve nodded to him “Thanks, Vicar”

Peggy giggled and shook her head at him as he pulled her close and passionately kissed her. Peggy’s arms wrapped around his neck as his went around her waist. There was soon a outburst of cheers and claps. Of course Steve could hear his old friends being the damn loudest. But that didn’t matter. Because he had just married the woman of his dreams, a woman he always thought would be out of reach. I someone told him a few years ago that he would meet this woman, this Princess, by chance. Fall in love after one night and after getting on five years of fighting the odds he would end up marrying her. Well, he’d tell them that they were crazy.

A man like him? A poor former soldier who had no class rating or title? Never.

But clearly, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Peggy pulled her lips away and looked into his captivating eyes. Grinning at him and whispering “We did it, darling, we made it”

“We sure did” Steve gently kissed, looked into her eyes and nodded “We sure did”

* * *

Steve sat on the foot of  _ their  _ bed, staring down at his wedding ring. They had one hell of an after party. But eventually, of course, that part of the night had to come to an end. Steve scratched his bare chest and then heard the bathroom door open. He looked up to see Peggy walk out of the bedroom in just her undergarments which was a tight fitting silk nighty that dropped above her knees. It was the most skin that she had ever shown to Steve.

As it was said, they were very strict and sacred about waiting until marriage. And that including everything. She took his breath away. Steve swallowed thickly and watch her walked over to him. His hands gently ran from her waist to her backside and she cupped his cheeks and kissed him. Brushing her tongue against his and letting out a gentle moan. Steve gripped harder to her and sat her on his lap.

Peggy pulled away for a moment and looked deep into his eyes. She bit her lip and then whispered “This will make it all worth the wait”

Steve smiled to her and whispered back as he leaned in again “I’ll make sure of it”

Their lips pressed together more roughly and passionately. Steve turned them so she was lay down on the bed and he was hovering over her. They moved themselves up to the head of the bed and after a moment got under the sheets. Steve leaned over and turned off the lamp shade before returning to his bride to  _ finally  _ be together as man and wife.

And by  _ God  _ it was worth the wait and went on enough times to make up for the times before that they had to resist.


	10. Chapter 10

_ 2 months later. _

“You want to go to Malta?” Elizabeth said as she and Peggy walked down the hall. Peggy looked to her and shrugged “It isn’t as if I am talking about moving I just want Steve and I to get away from a while. The house is rarely used now since you’ve been made Queen”

“Well... my coronation isn’t far away, Peggy”

“Yes I know. Of course we will be back by then” Peggy took hold of Elizabeth’s hand as she said “I know how important this all is and I will be there with you every step of the way” she dropped it back down to Elizabeth’s side but kept her eyes on her for a moment.

Elizabeth shrugged “I suppose someone should get a use out of that place. How long do you think you will be gone for?”

“Only a week, ten days at the most. So don’t worry I won’t miss a thing”

“Good. I can’t imagine going through this dreaded thing without you, speaking of which. Do you think it would be a terrible idea to appoint Philip the head chairman for my coronation? You know what he can be like”

Peggy laughed breathlessly and nodded “Yes, I know what he can be like. But I do think the idea is rather lovely, he will appreciate it. I know he will, plus you two will be spending more time together. He will deny it but he misses how things used to be”

“I understand that, because I do too”

“Then do it. Make as many memories with him as you can”

Elizabeth put her hand on Peggy’s arm to stop them both in their treks “Speaking of memories...come with me” she then led Peggy down a different corridor, Peggy cocked an eyebrow but she bit into Elizabeth’s suggestion and followed her.

Elizabeth lead her to her office and took out a box from behind her desk. Peggy stood there curious, and when Elizabeth pulled back the lid, and Peggy saw what it was. She was honoured but she shook her head “Oh, Lilibet I can’t-”

“You can and you will” Elizabeth said. Peggy looked down to the camera that was given to Elizabeth on her wedding day by her late father. How could she accept this?

Peggy looked back to Elizabeth “But he gave this to  _ you _ ”

“And now I am giving this to you, Papa gave this to me so I can go out in the world and film my adventures I was to have with Philip...but unfortunately we never had the chance to do all of them”

“You’re not dead yet”

Elizabeth muttered a laugh and nodded “Yes, but I am the Queen now, there are things I will no longer be able to do, such as take holidays. Every foreign country I’ll now go to will be for a royal tour...Papa wanted me to use this for adventures, by giving this to you I am fulfilling my promise, because adventures this camera will have, just with someone else behind it”

Peggy looked down to the camera once again, still debating it. Then hearing Elizabeth say “If it would make you feel better I can say that we shall  _ share  _ it instead of it being a gift...bloody stubborn” 

Peggy smirked and rolled her eyes at her ending comment, but didn’t wager on it. She just took the camera in her hands as Elizabeth said “I put in some new film”

Peggy looked up to her and then smiled “Thank you, Lilibet”

“Just be sure to use it. Live in your memories a few years down the line”

Peggy turned the camera round and investigated it “Well, perhaps I can get Steven to show of his physique in the water. I wouldn’t mind capturing that on film”

“Peggy” Elizabeth giggled. Giving her a small nudge.

“Oh you did the very same with Philip and don’t you dare try to deny it, or brush it off as filming his navy career”

Elizabeth just smirked and didn’t comment at Peggy’s teasing statement. She would deny, because then she’d be lying.

Peggy was indeed grateful to have this now in her possession. Because in two days time she would be in sunny Malta with the man she loved. 

* * *

Malta. Christ she had missed Malta. She had been away from it for far too long. It was like a second home to her, Elizabeth and Margaret. The times they had here were never forgotten. 

Now she was to make new ones, with Steve. Three days in, after lovely quiet days alone, Peggy contacted their chain of friends that also vacated here around this time of year, it was never a holiday without a few parties. And Peggy hosted some of the best they have ever had. Ask anyone. They soon would have a house filled with people. There were even some men that Steve had met over these past seven months, guys who had become friends with.

He missed his Howlies since they left. He still kept in touch with them with letters. Just seeing how they are doing. Bucky still wrote to him in a way that he could hear them all teasing them in his head by the way he writes. It was always a lovely reminder of his home.

They had staff at the house of course, the ones that went with them on the plane. And Martin, as he is no longer Elizabeth’s right hand man, he was now Peggy’s. Aside from him being their employee. They also considered him a friend. Their friends soon arrived. Old navy buddies of Philip and now new friends of Steve’s. In fact he met two of them back in the war from when he went to do a deal with the navy. It was a small world.

“Steve. Good god look at the size of you. I see the royals have a good workout regime” Jonathan, the navy guy who Steve met in the complemented as he slapped Steve’s arm mid handshake. Steve laughed and shook his head with a shrug “Have to keep myself presentable”

More guests arrived, giving more compliments. Steve was beginning to think it was the custom to big each other up. Steve stood outside, taking in the view. He had never been to such a beautiful place. Peggy came up behind him and pressed her lips against his shoulder blade before standing beside him and saying “Are you going to go on the boats today? The rowing competition is quite fun and I gather each team will be battering each other for you to be on their side” Peggy said as she squeezed his bicep.

Steve smiled to her, blushing slightly and shrugged as he looked out to the water “Never rowed before”

“It’s not too hard you just pull back and forth on a stick” Peggy shrugged. She then smirked “Plus side for me is, you will have to have your shirt off”

“Now we’re getting to it” Steve muttered with a smirk. Hearing her laugh and then feeling her hand slap against his chest, he looked back to her with a smile as she went on to say “I also want you to have fun”

“I’m having fun, but yeah I’ll go rowing” Steve had hold of her hand when he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Peggy smiled, closed her eyes as he did so and then took a small step back with her hand still linked to his “Ten minutes. I must go and fetch the camera”

“We ready then boys?” he called as he made his way down the small slope to the dock.

Peggy soon joined them as they were ready to go, Martin kindly offered her to drive the speedboat so she could keep up with them and film him. Something that Elizabeth loved doing. She loved whizzing around with her too. It was just as thrilling watching  _ her man _ do this. He was very good, considering he said he didn’t know a thing about it. With arms like that, you’re bound to be good.

He even got a bit cocky and looked to her whilst rowing, giving her a wink as she filmed him, straight down the lens and everything. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand at him to get him to concentrate on what he was doing. She just quietly giggled and closed one eye once again as she focused back on filming him.

Steve practically carried his team through, it ended up in them winning. Which their opposers set themselves up for. They all leapt up onto their feet, with caution of course, not to fall overboard. Their arms flew in the air and high fived, chest bumped. Just about every stereotypical guy celebration action in the book, they did. Steve looked over to Peggy, who was just a few meters away, he pointed to her with a grin which she returned and blew him a kiss. Steve slapped Johnathan’s and then jumped into the sea, quickly swimming towards her.

Peggy, laughing, planted the camera against Martin’s chest, with her eyes still stuck on Steve swimming towards her. He gripped onto the boat and effortlessly pulled himself up on the boat.

Peggy quietly giggled as he approached her, dripping wet “Flaming idiot-”

Steve cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers that she soon sunk into. Hearing the men on both boats cheer and holler, then they signalled Martin to film the lovely moment, which he did. Steve pulled his lips away and then laughed “I got you all damp”

“Believe me, it’s more than fine” Peggy whispered, kissing him again. Seeing the  _ Duchess  _ make the move made the lads holler even more. She had drops of water splash on her cheek from his flopped hair dripping wet also. Which Peggy couldn’t help but run her fingers through.

Martin lowered the camera as Peggy moved away and looked to him as he handed it her back “Come on then Martin, get us back to shore” Peggy said as she sat down, with Steve sat next to her, soon getting cold from the wind blowing over his entire body as Martin got the boat on the way.

They soon got back. Steve wrapped his arm around Peggy’s waist and pulled her close “We got time before the little gathering?”

Peggy smiled as their forehead pressed together, she kissed his nose and rubbed his wet arms “I’ll shoo everyone off tonight so we can spend some time alone, for now, this afternoon is to entertain. Us Windsors have a reputation to uphold”

“Alright, tonight”

“Yes. Tonight” Peggy gave him a light, quick kiss and then slapped his arms as she said and walked away “Go and get changed”

He couldn’t wait to have her all to himself. He loved the parties and gatherings they had very much. But he’d much prefer his nights alone with his wife. When he had a wife like Peggy, no one could even try to blame him. Many men would kill to be in his shoes.

* * *

Steve blended well with Peggy’s friends who soon went on to become his own, it was different than social parties at the palace. You had to have a certain amount of formality there, but here. You were allowed to just really be yourself. There was no one watching you from over your shoulder.

One thing he had to get used to was their language. Yes, British people had a language in the eyes of Americans. Posh Brits even more so. Steve would be so embarrassed if people knew how Peggy had to whisper in his ear the definition of words such as  _ ‘Barmy’  _ or  _ ‘Chuffed’ _

He got the hang of it now, mostly, there was the odd clarification he had to run by her. But other than that, he was good. Wasn’t like he was going to start talking with some kind of posh accent or anything but compared to those months back he felt much more comfortable in the company of these folk.

But he much more enjoyed the company of Peggy and Peggy only. She didn’t find it too bad either. Steve sat in the fancy wooden deck chair on the porch of the house, Peggy soon came over and sat on his lap. His arms wrapping tightly around her waist. She rested her head against him, they stayed silent for a moment as they both personally soaked in the view that they were looking at. Steve turned his head and pressed his lips against her temple “Could just stay here”

Peggy let out a helpless laugh and rubbed his arms “I wager my family would not be best pleased”

“Most of them weren’t best pleased in you marrying me yet they got used to that idea”

Peggy turned her head to him and kissed his nose before whispering “We can come back whenever we please”

Steve nodded “Okay. Good, Because it sure is beautiful” he then watched as she looked out to the view and smiled at her “Not nearly as beautiful as you though”

Peggy looked back to him and grinned, there he goes, giving her butterflies in the pit of her stomach again. Peggy out her hands to his cheeks and pulled his lips to hers. Quickly growing to be deeper. Steve’s hands gripped harder onto her waist. Peggy stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and then said in a low whisper “Take me inside”

Steve held onto her as he stood up and carried her into the house. Not daring to stop kissing her. He dropped her down onto the bed and said as she gripped to his shoulders with a smirk “Marriage suits us”

“You would say that” Peggy muttered against his lips “Given the perks that comes with it”

* * *

The following afternoon. Peggy made her way to the office room in the house. They have to have one in every house of theirs. But it was handy since she needed a phone to go and call Elizabeth. As she reached for the phone, it began to ring. Peggy jumped out of her skin. Christ that scared her. 

Peggy picked up the phone “Hello?”

_ “Peggy…”  _ Elizabeth said on the other end.

Peggy sighed and then smiled “You must be bloody psychic. I was just about to call you. I need to tell you something-”

_ “Peggy”  _ Elizabeth repeated in a sigh and a tone that told Peggy that something was wrong. Peggy slowly leaned against the desk and took in a deep breath, half of her was already coming down to the correct conclusion before Elizabeth even said a word “When did it happen?”

_ “Last night” _

Peggy closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She looked up to the ceiling as her eyes began to slowly fill up. Nodding and just listening to the words that Elizabeth was feeding her all the way back in England.

After a while, Steve walked in. Gleefully happy. He grinned when he saw her. She had her back to him but she was still taking his breath away. He clapped his hands together and said “So. How happy was she to hear she’s gonna be a…” he then stopped and thought hard for a moment “What does that make her? When you’re cousin has a baby...second cousin?”

“Appropriate term is just niece or nephew” Peggy politely corrected in a mumble.  

Steve carried on thinking and then shrugged as he walked towards her “Either way she’s gonna be a godmother so let’s just go with that” Steve placed his hand on her stomach from behind.

They found out she was pregnant just an hour ago. After Peggy feeling rather faint and sick this morning. Steve suggested just letting the Doctor who was always on call to take a look at her. When Martin found out, he insisted. Every Royal must be checked thoroughly. After the awkward question about Peggy’s cycle. Realising she missed her time of the month, the doctor took some blood and then it came back an hour ago that she was in fact with child.

Steve kissed her neck and asked “What did she say?”

“Nothing” Peggy sighed.

Steve’s brows pinched together, he pulled his head back and looked at her. Seeing the glum look on her face “What’s wrong? Peggy?”

Peggy took her eyes to him and said in a wounded tone “It’s granny. She’s died. Passed away last night”

Steve sighed, closing his eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead before hugging onto her tight. Peggy then allowed herself to let out a crying breath and whimpered as she gripped onto him, nuzzling her head into her neck. She knew that it would only be a matter of time, but the naive part of her soul was still hoping Mary would reach out to her again before she died. She never wanted their relationship to end the way it was. Peggy was the only granddaughter that Mary had a rocky path with, the only one who would argue back with her. But she loved her all the same. As her first granddaughter she was always going to have a special love for her. It was that special love which was why she was so hurt by Peggy’s decision to be with Steve, why it hurt her to see her choose Steve over her family. Well, that’s the conclusion she had in her head anyway.

“I’m sorry, baby” Steve whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek “I know you were hoping you’d make some kind of amends before this happened”

Peggy took a breath and pulled back ever so slightly. Pressed her forehead against his, she then quickly wiped her tears and stood back up properly, looking into his eyes. She shook her head and cried “We have to go back”

“Of course. Hey, I understand. Don’t worry” Steve touched her cheek.

For a moment, Peggy forgot how much of a kind soul he was. Compared to Frederick, the man her family wanted her to marry, who was controlling and believed that even though she was the royal, she should follow what he said. Steve was just a dream. A true gentleman. Steve gave her a warm smile “I’ll go talk to Martin in arranging a flight back, you just pack your bags okay?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell them about the baby, I just...I just think it would be the right time”

Steve shrugged “I mean, it may be seen as a bit of good news in this horrible situation. Whole one life beginning as one ends...but if you want to keep it quiet till the funeral is over, then I’ll be okay with that” he kissed her cheek and gave her hand a squeeze before leaving the room to find Martin.

Peggy wiped her tears again and then walked into her bedroom to pack their bags.

* * *

They got back to London just as the evening hit. Peggy walked ahead of Steve as she quickly entered her grandmother’s home. The first time she had walked in it for months. They found everyone in her room. Elizabeth turned when she heard the door open and held her arms out as Peggy approached her. Peggy sighed and closed her eyes as her arms met her cousin’s body and held onto her tight.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here”

“You’re here now” Elizabeth whispered rubbing her back “And that is all that matters”

Peggy pulled away from Elizabeth and looked to the bed. Seeing her grandmother’s lifeless body. Still holding onto Elizabeth’s hand. She looked to the rest of her family. Philip, Margaret, Michael. Her mother and Auntie. And her Uncle...Edward. Michael kissed the top of her head as Margaret took hold of her other hand. Peggy just looked at her and asked in a dry voice “When are they coming for her?”

“In about an hour” Michael informed her “They’ve done all the...prepping”

That meant they have done the procedure things that they do like they did with her Uncle’s body in making them still looking  _ alive  _ and full of colour for their funeral. After a view moments more of silence. Her Aunt Elizabeth sighed and said “Well, I think we all should clear out of this room for when they do come. There’s not much more we can do or say in here”

She wasn’t being harsh. She was in fact trying to pull everyone out of their little pits of depression. Which, staring at their dead relative wouldn’t help them. As they all walked out, Peggy reached over and placed her hand on her Grandmother’s now icey cold one. Giving her a small, broken smile and then following them out and leaving.

They all assembled together in her throne room. There was the matter of being handed the things that Mary had left them. Peggy didn’t know whether she would be surprised if Mary had taken her out of her will. Although, Edward was still entitled to a possession. And Mary could certainly stand Peggy better than she could her own son. Edward stood in the corner of the room and just watched them. Peggy put her hands on her hips and glanced to him before muttering to Margaret “What is he doing here? He and Granny haven’t been close in years”

“We all know why. He’s here to get his grubby hands on some of her possessions” Margaret muttered back, then taking a drag from her cigarette to add on “You know know that he will be writing about us all to his little wife”

Peggy looked down to her stomach for a moment. Margaret cocked an eyebrow “Are you alright?”

Peggy quickly looked up and ran her fingers through the side of her hair and cleared her throat “Yes, I’m fine”

She wished that this all came at a different time. Because she was so excited to be a mother, she was grieving for her grandmother, but she also wanted to celebrate with Steve and her family the joyous news of another child being brought into their family.

Unfortunately, this wonderful news will have to wait. She looked over to Steve and saw him looking at her. She knew how badly he wanted to just shout from the rooftops with joy that he was going to be a father. That he was having a baby with the most beautiful woman. But if he had to wait, he will do so to please her. All he had to do right now was support her through the funeral.

And he did. He supported her all the way through it like the loving husband he was. The funeral was only a few days after they had come back from Malta. Everyone got through it well enough. They all got the closure that they needed. Well, Peggy didn’t feel very  _ satisfied _ . She couldn’t help but think back to how they ended things. But Steve tried to remind her as much as possible that Mary loved her no matter what and she had to move on with their lives and look forward to the new things happening that are good. Like their child and also her little cousin’s coronation.

Something which also made Peggy wonder about breaking the news.

* * *

“You can’t not tell them” Steve laughed “Honey. It’ll only be a matter of weeks before you start getting a bump”

“I know, darling, I do” Peggy lightly scratched her forehead “It’s just the matter of picking the right moment”

Steve put his hands on her arms “You just say. Hey. Everyone. I’m pregnant”

Peggy rolled her eyes with an amused smile and slapped his chest, giving him a light push “Be serious”

“I am” Steve leaned back towards her and kissed her deeply, cupping her cheeks. Peggy slowly dragged her lips away, she loosely wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded “Alright, you’re very convincing”

He laughed and gave her nose a light kiss. Peggy rubbed his arms, leaning into his body as his arms wrapped around her. She rested her head on his chest “I am going to see Elizabeth in a few hours anyway” she looked up to him “Come with me, we can do it then”]

Steve smiled to her and nodded “Of course, baby, I’m with you every step of the way” 


	11. Chapter 11

Steve and Peggy got to Buckingham. Eventually she found her cousin in one of the living rooms of the palace. Peggy held her hand up to Steve for a moment, telling him to hold his horses for a moment. She could tell Elizabeth was angry. Peggy walked towards her and raised her brows “Elizabeth? What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth snapped out of her angry gaze, only just realizing that she was no longer in the room alone. She rubbed her forehead and groaned “It’s nothing I’m just...Philip and I have...we’ve had a little disagreement”

Both Steve and Peggy pulled an awkward face as Peggy then went on to ask “About what?”

“Philip refuses to kneel to me at my coronation”

Peggy stared at her for a minute. She couldn’t quite understand or believe what she was hearing. She shook her head and cleared her throat “I’m...I’m sorry, he won’t what?”

Elizabeth just shrugged to her and nodded “He seems to think he will look weak. Because he is my husband and it will look wrong”

Peggy rubbed her lips together, she nodded and then said as she went to walk back out of the room “He’s certainly going to feel weak once I’m through with him”

“Peggy-”

“Elizabeth. No” Peggy stopped at the door “You gave him this role which was a high bloody honour within itself. Even if I have to hold him down myself he will bloody well kneel” 

When she went out the door. Steve and Elizabeth just stared at each other, not knowing what to do or say. Elizabeth sighed and motioned her hand to the door “You better go make sure she doesn’t put my husbands head on a spike. I have a meeting with one of the other chairmen soon”

Steve nodded to her and then quickly followed Peggy out. Just catching her in time, he got in the car with her.

* * *

She found Philip still in the church, she marched towards him and snapped “What is this nonsense I have just heard about you not kneeling at the coronation? You flaming well will”

Philip looked around and muttered to her at close range “Peggy, please, don’t make a scene”

Peggy raised her brows to him and let out an angered breath. Especially with her being slightly hormonal, which Philip wasn’t aware of right now of course, but even if she wasn’t she would still be looking at him with the same daggers she was giving him now. She looked at him sternly “You will do it”

“I will not”

“Philip-”

“Peggy. I will not”

Peggy stared at him and took a breath, she turned to Steve and said as she walked off “You better speak to him because I will just kill him right here in the eyes of God”

Steve gave him a reassuring smile and rubbed her arm “Alright, well we don’t want that. You just go wait over there”

Peggy glared at Philip over her shoulder and he just shrugged at her, feeling entirely innocent and confused on why she was lashing out at him, but she couldn’t see his point of view because his point of view was stupid. Steve walked towards him, sticking his hands in his pockets “You’ve caused quite the stir”

“I don’t see the big fuss I just don’t think it is right” he scoffed, walking further down the church for Steve to follow. Philip then carried on “She is my wife. A man kneeling before his wife is uncommon. I mean” he stopped and turned to Steve “Would you kneel in front of Peggy? On national television as well as the people in the church?”

Steve remained silent for a moment, he then smiled and nodded “Damn straight”

“You would?”

“I would” Steve said with a light laugh. He understood that Philip was a different kind of man than he was. It didn’t make Steve a better man than him, They were just raised differently, raised around different people with different views. Steve shrugged once again and then asked “Elizabeth is the love of your life, yes?”

Philip, at first felt a little embarrassed. He didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Steve did. Slowly he nodded and grumbled “Yes”

“And you respect her?”

Philip shrugged as the answer seemed obvious and nodded “Yes”

“Well” Steve sighed and said in a calm voice “If you refuse to kneel to her at this coronation, which as I am told is a tradition...then you’re not showing her the respect she deserves from you. You’re her husband, Philip. You suck up your pride and you do it”

“You make it sound awfully easy”

“That’s because it is easy, Philip” Steve laughed “It’s simple. You love and respect her. That means you have to love and respect this part of her, being the Queen is now a part of her and you  _ have  _ to respect that as well as her as a person”

Philip was kind of shocked that Steve was so bold about this. Normally he wouldn’t have this much confidence to give out a lecture. But Steve was a noble guy, he was serious when it came to doing right by women. And Philip right now was not doing right by Elizabeth. Steve pressed his fingertips against his chest, not in an aggressive manner. In a more way to let him know that the next piece of advice is a piece that he should take on board “From what Peggy has told me, Elizabeth is nervous about this whole coronation thing. She needs her husband now more than ever. So Philip, take my advice, please, man up and be the husband she needs”

Steve shrugged and put his hand back in his pocket “Then you can go back to being the whole rebellious prince that you do so well. Cause even though she enjoys that part of you, she needs the other part of you right now”

Steve gave him another tight smile and then turned back around. He walked back over to Peggy and put his hands on her arms. Giving them a reassuring rub “Don’t worry. After the stuff I just said to him, he’d be insanely stupid not to”

“I wouldn’t underestimate his stupidity” Peggy sighed, then looking back into his eyes and asked “What did you say to him?”

Steve felt his cheeks slightly blush. He pressed his forehead gently against hers and said in a soft voice “That if it were me, I’d kneel to you in a heartbeat”

Peggy smiled and made a small ‘ _ aw _ ’ noise under her breath, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a loving kiss. She softly rubbed his back and whispered “I love you”

“I love you too”

Peggy slid her hand into his “Come on…”

“Where are we going?” Steve asked as she led him back out of the church. Peggy smiled to herself and said “We have to tell our family about our little bit of news”

“What about Philip?” Steve said with a small laugh. Peggy shrugged as they went over to the car and said “He’s too busy acting like a child himself right now”

Steve let out a small laugh and slid in the car with her. Threading his fingers in with hers. Pressing his lips against hers. Peggy pressed her forehead against his. Closing her eyes and just resting her head on his shoulder.

They got back, Peggy managed to grab hold of Elizabeth, after all, she and Margaret lived under the same roof and everyone else will be harder to get a hold of. Elizabeth was all over the place, being pushed and pulled from pillar to post, especially with this coronation.

Peggy sat Elizabeth down and quickly said “We have to tell you something”

Elizabeth smirked, squinted at her and plainly asked “How far gone are you?”

Both Peggy and Steve’s jaw gently dropped. Elizabeth slowly stood back up and raised her brows to her “You don’t really believe that you have been subtle, do you? Because with the overly happy looks you have given each other and Steve checking to see if you were okay more times than usual. Well I am just not stupid”

“There goes the element of surprise” Steve muttered behind Peggy.

Elizabeth let out a small laugh and put her hand on Peggy’s arms and said before pulling her in for a hug “Congratulations” she wrapped her arms around her and then added in a sweet smile “It seems everything is falling into place for you now”

“It does seem like that, doesn’t it” Peggy said as she rubbed her cousin’s back and whispered “Thank you”

Elizabeth pulled back and then gave her congratulations to Steve, she looked to Peggy and asked again “How far?”

“Two months”

Elizabeth smiled and said as she put her hand on Peggy’s stomach “Won’t be too long until you start getting fat”

Peggy swatted her arm and laughed as she hugged her again. She squeezed onto her tight and whispered “Don’t you dare tell me to take it easy during this preparing for your coronation because believe me I will be on the front lines throughout it all”

Elizabeth laughed “I wouldn’t dream of it” she looked to Steve and pointed to him “You better not either”

Steve put his hands up and shrugged. He would never dream of it.

* * *

Just a little bit over a week of the coronation. It was now June 12th. Peggy had been pregnant for five months. Elizabeth was wrong about one thing, Peggy wasn’t fat. She was showing, but her stomach wasn’t as big as hers was when she was five months. At first she was concerned, but the doctor assured her that all body’s were different and that Peggy is rather blessed to have a slim pregnant figure. Still, she was more bloated than she usually would be, her hormones were up and down. But there was one thing she always was. Happy. Really, really happy. Steve was just as ecstatic. He had it easy though, he had no hormones, no getting fatter and didn’t have to push a child out by the end of these nine months. But he was ever so supportive. 

Peggy made an early visit to Elizabeth as Steve went out with Philip to one of those gentlemen clubs. He doesn’t exactly enjoy them, but he had to make the effort. As soon as she walked in the room. Elizabeth looked up to her from just being on the phone with Margaret and asked “Did you speak to Margaret before you left?”

Peggy raised her brows “Well. Good morning to you too. No I haven’t, she’s been in her room for a while”

“Hm. I wonder who with” Elizabeth muttered to herself, then clearing her throat and said clearly to her “Margaret has asked us to attend a little dinner party on thursday. You and Steve, Philip and I” she leaned leaned forward on the table as whispered “Margaret and Peter”

Peggy’s eyebrows went up even more “Peter as in... _ Peter _ Peter”

“The very one” Elizabeth nodded.

Peggy rubbed her palms together, not quite sure on what to say. Her words got caught in her throat for a moment and then just came out with “Oh”

Elizabeth let out a small, breathless laugh and nodded “Yes, that’s what I said. She also has something she needs to tell us”

Peggy muttered a stiff laugh and walked over to her “Well, that should be interesting...are we thinking the same thing?”

“That the topic of marriage is somehow on the horizon? Yes. We are”

Peggy bit her lip “Puts you in a rather tight spot”

“It does” Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her forehead, she took her eyes to Peggy “Peggy you understand in a way that Margaret can’t. Because she is blinded by her love for him, but you understand the difficulty-”

“I know. But...what are you going to do?”

“I can’t refuse her the right to marry him. So...I am just going to have to fight like hell to get the approval”

Peggy gave her a soft smile and rubbed her arm. She had faith in her, not as Queen. But as the woman that Elizabeth grew to be, even when they were children. Elizabeth was always the one taking charge, even though Peggy was the oldest, it was Elizabeth who would be the most rational. She could always make people see reason, that’s why she was made for this job. So she must be able to use her skills to negotiate with the church to let them accept Margaret and Peter.

They would just have to wait and see. Margaret might not even be talking about marriage. But it was the most likely thing right now considering how long they had been together.

“How are you feeling today?” Elizabeth nodded to Peggy’s stomach “No trouble?”

“No” Peggy said with a breathless laugh as she placed her hand on her stomach “No, perfectly fine”

“Good. I do like to check on you” Elizabeth smiled, taking a piece of paper filled with important Queen stuff written all over it to her desk.

“And I love you for that but if you keep asking me that on top of Steve then I am going to combust”

Elizabeth raised her brows to her and mumbled as she looked down to her desk “Rather bold statement”

Peggy laughed a dramatic sob her herself and nodded “I know”

Elizabeth giggled at her and nodded when she looked back up to her and leveled with her “I was the exact same, when I was pregnant”

“With which one?”

“ _ Both _ ”

Peggy frowned and then shook her head at the thought. She couldn’t imagine going through this twice, which she has mentioned to Elizabeth before, to which she replied with by saying that she will feel differently once her child is actually born. She’ll just have to wait and see on that one.

“So, will you and Steve attend thursday?”

“I’m sure we can squeeze it in” Peggy teased.

* * *

That thursday night. Steve and Peggy didn’t have to go far given that the dinner party was held in one of the dining rooms in their home that they shared with Margaret. But they all walked into the dining room. Peggy sat opposite Steve and beside Peter as Steve sat beside Philip. Elizabeth at the one end of the table, closest to Peggy and Margaret at the other end. There was tension, a very thick awkward silence for a moment as the staff came in and placed the soups down in front of each of them. Elizabeth and Peggy could tell that even though they had food in front of them, it was not the time to be eating. Margaret wanted to tell them all something. So when their spouses picked up a spoon and went to eat, Elizabeth and Peggy looked at the two of them and subtly shook their heads. Philip and Steve glanced to Margaret, saw the look on her face and then got the picture. The two of them poured their soup from their spoons back in the bowl, lowered the cutlery and sat back to listen up. 

You could tell that Margaret was both nervous and excited given that she couldn’t help the smile that was across her face every now and then “I asked you here tonight because...there is something I wanted to discuss with you”

Peggy saw how Steve looked to her, asking her by just a silent exchange of eye contact if this about what he thought it was. And she gave him a look back to tell him that it was. When Margaret mentioned Peter, even Philip started to catch on. Peggy warned Elizabeth that she should have told Philip beforehand, because they both know what he’s like. He surprisingly gets all sensitive and  _ hurt  _ when something is kept from him.

“Peter has become my sole companion...and I his”

Elizabeth looked to Peggy as she did to her. Seemed as though they were on the right lines when they talked before. The pair quickly looked back to Margaret before she caught onto them “And when his divorce came through in December last year, I suppose it was only natural that we both started thinking about what kind of...um  _ future  _ we might have together”

Steve took his eyes back to Peggy as Philip and his eyebrows that were now skyhigh went over to Elizabeth. Both women remained quiet and gave them a look as if to tell them to cut it out.

“And we made a decision just before the coronation” a wide, overly happy grin appeared back on Margaret’s face “That one day...we wanted to um...well you know”

Steve and Philip both looked to Peter and saw the happy smirk on Peter’s face. Elizabeth stared at Margaret and then filled in the gap “Marry?”

Margaret happily sighed and nodded “Yes”

Peggy glanced to Elizabeth and said after quietly clearing her throat “Goodness”

“Well of course we are aware of the complications and issues at stake…” Margaret noticed how Elizabeth was staring at Philip, almost as if she was asking for him to help her but what could he say on this matter? “Well, Lilibet you and Peggy have known for a while about Peter and I. It’s not really a terrible shock to you”

Peggy kicked Elizabeth under the table to make her little cousin aware of how painfully silent she was being, it gave the indication to clearly say something “No, not at all...it’s…”

“Wonderful” Peggy spoke up, saving Elizabeth’s skin. Margaret and Peter reached over to one another and held hands, Peter then asked “Is there anything you’d like to ask us?”

“Does your wife know?” Philip quickly asked. Peggy closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. He was so damn blunt and sharp.

“ _ Ex _ wife” Margaret sternly corrected.

“She does, we had a frank conversation. There is no animosity” Peter answered him politely.

Then of course Steve had to get out what was on his mind “What about your kids?”

Peggy quietly scoffed to him and shot him an unamused look. Steve caught eyes with her and shrugged, then weakly muttering to her “What?”

Peter offered questions. Steve just took one.

“They know and seem very happy” Peter once again answered him politely. Margaret and Peter pulled their hands apart and went back to sitting up properly.

“So...do I have your permission?” Margaret asked Elizabeth “As sovereign?”

The ball then dropped. That was why she wanted the big fancy meal. She wanted Elizabeth to give her blessing and say that Margaret could go through with it. Margaret wasn’t really aware but Peggy was, she was aware how difficult this was going to be, not just complications and issues. Margaret made it sound quite simplistic. This could cause mayhem. 

“Oh…” Elizabeth said in a surprised tone, her jaw slightly dropped as she looked from Philip to Peggy and then back to Margaret. Elizabeth looked to Peggy for some guidance, letting out a breath as she tried to find words. Peggy looked to her and just gave her a soft nod. She couldn’t exactly deny this, she would just have to fight tooth and nail. And who better to fight tooth and nail for than her sister?

“Well...of course I’d have to take advice” Not just from Peggy that is “And the how’s and where’s and...all official matters...but if it’s what you desire”

Margaret began to tear up “More than anything in the world”

Elizabeth looked at her almost sympathetically, as did Peggy. They knew how Margaret saw the world as being unfair at times towards her. You could tell she  _ needed  _ Peter.

“Well as your sister I’m never going to oppose it”

Margaret gasped and she shot up from her chair, running over to Elizabeth “Oh thank you! Thank you!” she leaned towards her and kissed her cheek as Elizabeth put her hands on Margarets. Margaret then wrapped her arms around Peggy from behind and let out an excited squeal. Peggy looked to both Philip and Steve and gave them stern orders with her eyes for them to congratulate Peter. Philip took his napkin off of his lap and stood up as did Steve. They both shook Peter’s hand and congratulated him. Elizabeth put on a genuinely happy smile as much as she could but she couldn't bury the worry she had over how difficult this was all going to be, she couldn’t even guarantee a happy ending. After all of that, they sat down and actually ate.

Then as the night grew older, Elizabeth and Philip decided it was time for them to leave. They wanted to get up bright and early tomorrow so that they could spend time with the children in the morning in their bedroom. Like Elizabeth and Margaret used to do with their parents.

Peggy walked with Elizabeth and asked her “What are you going to do?”

Elizabeth sighed as she turned to her “You saw how happy she was...how could I deny her the marriage?”

“ _ You _ may not deny her the marriage but the church will” Peggy folded her arms and sighed, shaking her head “Elizabeth, Margaret thinks that she and I are on the same page when it comes to forbidden romance. But we aren’t. Not in the slightest. Steve and I were hardly even forbidden it was just seen as some scandal and our family made it out to be so much worse than what it was...but this? The Church nor Parliament had no issue with me marrying a low class American but a divorcee twice her age?”

“I know, I know” Elizabeth sighed, she then shrugged “But what could I have done?”

Peggy stared at her for a moment and then agreed “If I were in your shoes I’m sure I would have said the same thing”

“I am just going to have to fight for this, I can’t lose a sister over my duty as Queen”

“Just be careful, you don’t want to tick off the wrong people. If we can convince Philip to kneel for you, I'm sure arms can be twisted for this” Peggy saw how Elizabeth just grew more and more worried, she put her hand on her arm for a brief moment and said “Go and get some sleep, Lilibet. We’ll speak tomorrow. Besides, I’m sure your headache is going to get even worse with questions coming from that one’s mouth” Peggy nodded over to Philip, who was stood by the door, waiting for Elizabeth.

“You were right, I should have told him beforehand”

Peggy shrugged “Not much you can do now, you’ll just have to listen to him go on and on and  _ on _ ”

“Fancy switching places? Steve seems much quieter”

Peggy laughed and shook her head “Enough husband swapping, go on your majesty”

Elizabeth squeezed her hand and said as she went to walk away “Goodnight God bless, Peggy”

“Goodnight God bless...and good luck” Peggy quipped. Then making her way upstairs and off to bed like everyone else had.

* * *

Peggy shut the door behind her and stretched as she walked in the room “I can’t wait to get in bed” she yawned. Steve then coming out of the bathroom in his robe, Peggy gave him a tired smile as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck and she smiled at his warmth. She felt his lips press against her skin and she held onto him even tighter. Steve pulled back after a moment and looked to her “Some night, huh?”

Peggy groaned and gave him an exhausted expression as she walked over the folded screen in the corner of their room and grabbed hold of her silk nighty. Usually she wears pajamas but ever since she fell pregnant she found nighties more comforting. As she got changed, she said to him “Elizabeth is going to have a bloody field day with all of this. I just hope she doesn’t make a pig’s ear of it all. I think Elizabeth hopes that too”

Steve, pretending to know what the phrase ‘Pig’s ear’ meant then asked her as he took his robe off, remaining in just his underwear “How come?”

“Well” Peggy rested her dress that she wore for the night over the chair, the maids would come in and get it in the morning once Steve and Peggy had vacated the room she took out her earrings and said “With us there was no real issue, all we had to deal with was the press and the family. But what Margaret is asking, is going to go against the Church...Parliament...both which are things that are very hard to get through”

Steve shrugged his shoulders “But. Surely the Church will see that two people wanted to be bound together in front of God. How can they say no?”

“Because Peter has already been bounded with someone in front of God” Peggy said plainly, in a soft voice as she sat on the bed, putting the earrings on the table beside her “Peter has already been married. He made the unbreakable vow to another woman in front of God and the Church does not allow a man or woman to remarry if their ex wife or husband is still alive”

Steve walked over to the bed and got on his side, sitting behind her, resting his head on her shoulder “So...we’ve gotta go kill Peter’s wife?”

Peggy let out a small fit of giggles as did he, she shook her head and put her hand on his cheek as she turned to him “Silly man”

Steve put his hand on Peggy’s stomach as their lips came together. After a long, loving kiss, Steve muttered to her with his eyes still closed “So we’ve got a pregnancy and a marriage to get through?” he then looked to her and laughed “Gonna be an interesting few months huh”

Peggy nodded to him and gently stroked his cheek as she whispered “And there is no one else I would rather go through it with”

Steve smiled to her and gave her another quick kiss before they got under the duvet and he held her close as they drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Peggy gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on October 2nd. After nearly twenty four hours of painful labour but it was very much worth it. They called her Charlotte. During the four months before this, when Margaret requested Elizabeth’s permission to marry Peter, it soon went South. Elizabeth was persuaded into making Peter relocate himself to Brussels for two years. After those two years, Peter can come back and marry Margaret without Elizabeth’s permission. In the end it should work out well for everyone. But as the process was going through, that was when it was rather messy. 

Everything had seemed to of calmed down now, still, Margaret was clearly unhappy by the whole ordeal and was remaining bitter towards Elizabeth. Even though Peggy had tried to tell her  _ constantly  _ that it wasn’t Elizabeth’s fault.

Peggy took the mother role on as if she had been doing it her whole life. She was fantastic, Steve too, he took being a father by both hands and took the ride as well as Peggy did. When November hit, Elizabeth and Philip were setting off to go on their commonwealth tour.

Six.

Long.

Months.

It was going to be torture being away from their children, Elizabeth hardly had chance to spend time with them as it was, now being away for a half a year? It was going to be hard, she was glad that she wasn’t going alone, that she had Philip. But their marriage was already tense as it was, adding the stress of this tour. It could either bring them closer together or push them further apart. Only time will tell. Elizabeth had a visit from her mother in the early morning.

Her mother was leaving for Scotland, she too felt like she needed to get away from it all. She was also missing George terribly and felt like she needed to find something to try and fill the void. Even though she knew she never could.

“I’ve arranged for Margaret to deputise for me while I’m gone as head of state”

Elizabeth stared at her mother for a moment, trying to understand if those words really came out of her mouth “Why?”

“Well someone needs to do it, can’t have people turning up for a knighthood with some civil servant handing them out” she stared at Elizabeth and then let out a small shrug as she added on “And what else would you suggest? To ask Peggy? Her child is barely even a month old”

Although Peggy would be the best choice for all of this in Elizabeth’s mind, she could see why her mother didn’t ask such a thing. In fact she was glad she didn’t deep down. It would have been inappropriate “Besides, Margaret needs this, Elizabeth”

“Alright. If you think she’s up to it”

“Up to what? Standing still, looking pretty and putting a sword on a few people’s shoulders?”  

Elizabeth couldn’t help but be skeptical about it all, she raised an argument on every point that her mother was making till she got a cold look from her as she said more sternly “She will be fine. And you need to give Margaret some room, some space in which to  _ shine _ , she needs to shine that one. As elder sister you ought to be courteous and generous to enough to respect that. You cannot expect Peggy to always be there and catch you in case you fall, she cannot always be there to fill in for you when you or I am away”

“I don’t. And I am-I do respect it all”

“Do you?” her mother said nothing else, after another long stare, she just walked away and said nothing more.

* * *

After a tense conversation with both her mum and sister. Elizabeth went to visit Peggy and her new goddaughter at Clarence House. Steve and Peggy have practically been hiding away this past month, wrapped up in happiness with their child. 

Elizabeth found Steve and Peggy in the living room. One of them. Peggy was sat on the settee, gently rocking her baby back and forth in her arms as Steve was sat beside her, with her back resting against his chest. Elizabeth made her presence clear as she walked in and cleared her throat. Steve and Peggy looked up and smiled. Peggy grinned “Hello you”

“Hello you” Elizabeth smiled, then when she was close enough to them, she put her hand on her goddaughters head and whispered “And hello you”

She sat down beside Steve and Peggy, sitting on the end of the cushion so she could look at them both when she asked wholeheartedly “How are two? Still enjoying the parenting life?”

Steve smiled and he gently stroked his daughter’s stomach “I’ve got no complaints so far” 

Elizabeth hummed a laugh and then muttered under her breath “Just wait”

Peggy looked to her as she rested her baby’s head on her shoulder and cradled her head “Are you alright?”

“Fine...mother has appointed Margaret as head of state whilst I’m away”

“Yes, Margaret mentioned it to me this morning” Peggy smiled, raising her brows to Elizabeth as she said “She seemed very up for it”

She knew what that expression meant, it meant for Elizabeth to cut her some slack and give her a shot. She wasn't going to be as stern as her mother but she still felt like Elizabeth needed to reel it in. 

Before Elizabeth had to the chance to say anything, Peggy quickly reassured her “If anything goes hideously wrong I will be there to lay out a helping hand. But even you must admit that Margaret has a flare for public speaking”

“That’s what I’m afraid of” Elizabeth said as she sat back.Peggy smirked to her and then passed Charlotte to Steve as she stood up and went over to change her, they refused to have the staff do it, they didn’t want to be those kind of parents. Peggy watched him for a moment and smiled, he was such a good dad. He was always pulling overly dramatic faces to try and make her smile and laugh, she hasn’t quite mastered that yet though. Peggy looked back to her and asked “When do you leave?”

“Tonight”

“Thank god, I am dying to get rid of you” Peggy smirked to her. Elizabeth faked a laugh to her and muttered “Charmed”

“You know I’ll miss you, sixth months...I don’t know how I will be able to cope. But you  _ will  _ call me”

“Of course! To check up on baby that is”

Peggy rolled her eyes but just smirked. She was slightly worried about Elizabeth going on this little voyage with Philip. Especially when things have been a little tense. And she knew it was in the back of Elizabeth’s mind aswell, she wanted to make Philip happy like she could before, but she was not the same person she was when they got married, unfortunately Philip is exactly the same, he hasn’t exactly grown up. Which was frustrating for everyone really, even Steve.

* * *

After a longer conversation with Elizabeth, soon she had to get going, to deal with more duties before heading off on the tour. After a loving goodbye, Steve and Peggy were left to themselves again. Margaret would be at the palace more for the next six months than the house since she had been taking on the whole Queen role for a while.

Peggy picked up Charlotte out of her bassinet when she heard her starting to cry. In regards to night time, Charlotte was a dream most nights. She slept right through, as far as babies go, they were certainly blessed with her being their first. Luckily, Charlotte started crying before they were going to bed, there weren’t far off from doing so though.

Peggy rested her baby’s head on her shoulder and gently shushed her, lightly bouncing her up and down, pressing her lips against her cheek and whispering the lullaby  _ ‘Hush little baby’ _

Which did seem to work ever since they came back from the hospital. Her eyes flickered to the door as Steve came in the nursery, she smiled against her daughter’s cheek and then carried on singing, closing her eyes as she held onto Charlotte tight. She didn’t know it was possible to love something this much. She wanted to just hold her forever. 

Peggy felt Steve’s arms wrap around her waist, kissing her cheek and then Charlotte’s forehead. Watching as his three week old child slowly fell asleep at the sound of her mother’s beautiful and peaceful voice. She fell asleep before Peggy even finished it. Steve stroking her fair haired head certainly contributed to her sleeping. Peggy gave Charlotte another soft kiss and slowly laid her back down into the cott. She turned to Steve and smiled “ _ Nothing to it _ , I believe are your words”

“They are, and there isn’t” Steve whispered to her in attempts to keep Charlotte asleep. Peggy got up on her tiptoes and kissed him so lightly that she was practically teasing, she hooked her finger in a belt loop on his pants and walked him out of their daughter’s nursery, she smirked to him and whispered as Steve closed the door behind him and was still being led down the hall from her “I have a different way to make you tired”

Steve raised his brows to her and laughed “Oh really?”

Peggy just smirked and nodded as she murmured a low  _ ‘mm-hm’  _ and then giggled as she walked backwards into the bedroom as Steve cupped her face and kissed her, picking her up and closing the door behind them, he carried her over onto the bed, he wasted no time, his hand went up the skirt of her nighty which made her catch her breath in her throat and then settle her expression down to a satisfied smile, with her eyes still closed.

Peggy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body down onto her and kissed him hard. She rocked her hips against him as she gasped for air, being taken away to a totally different world.

They heard a knock at the dear, Steve lifted his head and looked, but Peggy quickly put her hand on his neck and turned him back to her “Ignore it” she whispered, then letting out a trembled moan straight after, her forehead pressed hard against his. They were both hoping that whoever was at the door would go away, but they didn’t as there was a knock at the door again. Peggy moaned again but this time it was half through frustration. Steve took his hand away and lay on his back as Peggy got up, straightening herself up and walked over to the door.

Of course it was Margaret. It was hardly going to be her three week old was it. Peggy let out a breath to keep her composure, still, she looked at little flustered.

“Margaret”

“Hello you. Are you alright?” Margaret looked at her slightly concerned.

“Perfectly fine” Peggy said, still quietly catching her flustered breaths. Margaret squinted at Peggy and then leaned her head forward to see Steve sat on the bed, she pulled her head back, still squinting and then suddenly it hit her “Oh! Oh! Good God I’ll leave you”

Peggy tried to brush it off as nothing “No it’s fine, what did you-”

“Nothing that can’t be saved until tomorrow” Margaret said, then laughing as she walked down the hall. Peggy sighed and leaned her head against the door frame for a moment. Peggy looked over her shoulder to her husband who was still lay on the bed, seeming amused. He just shrugged to her and watched her slowly close the door. Steve sat up on the bed and crooked his finger, wiggling it towards him. Peggy broke out into a smirk and walked back over to him.

Now, where were they?

* * *

“Yes I have read it...no I wasn’t there, Lilibet I was busy...taking care of my child?...listen, it isn’t that bad...it could be worse, the media could have hated what she said but they haven’t, they loved it...yes I will keep an eye on her, but you know as well as I do that Margaret does her own thing-yes I will! Yes I promise, okay, enjoy the tour I will speak to you tomorrow, bye”

Peggy put the phone down and let out an exhausted breath, she pressed herself against the back of the couch and kept her eyes closed for a moment. She turned her head and looked over to Steve, who was reading a newspaper by the table “And  _ that  _ has made me more exhausted than my baby ever has”

Steve’s brows pinched together as he slowly lowered the paper and dryly joked “When have I ever made you exhausted?”

Peggy smirked as he teased, she then let out a laugh as he gasped and nodded “Oh yeah! Every night since we got married”

“Jesus” Peggy said in a breathless whisper, closing her eyes again and heard him laugh. Steve laughed to himself and put his paper down on the table, he walked over to the couch and rubbed her shoulders from behind, he kissed the top of her head “I thought she did okay”

“As did I...but the way Margaret does things is so different to Elizabeth that it is considered controversial”

Peggy gripped onto his hands and rested her head against his arm as he continued to give her a massage. She let out a tired smile “That’s nice”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek before she turned her head and caught his lips. Her hands moving to his face and cupping his cheeks. Their tongues gently brushing together as Peggy let out a quiet and breathless moan. 

“Bloody hell” Margaret said as she came through the door “You two are like flaming animals. Do you want me to come back later  _ again _ ?”

Peggy smirked with amusement against Steve’s lips and then pulled away, turning her head to Margaret and shaking it “No, no, we weren’t-”

“Of course you weren’t” Margaret said with blunt sarcasm as she made her way over to the settee. Steve stood up straight and cleared his throat “I’ll go...check and see if Charlotte needs changing”

Margaret just raised a brow to him as he walked away. Very smooth way to get out of an awkward situation, blame your daughter. Margaret looked back to Peggy and asked straight away “Have you spoken to her?”

“By  _ her  _ you mean your darling sister? Yes, just now”

“And?”

“ _ And  _ she is not exactly thrilled about your entertaining methods...but then again you are a completely different person to who she is and so you would handle things differently, which I tried to explain”

“But she would not accept that” Margaret mumbled “Of course”

“I think she is just stressed with this whole tour, it isn’t helping I know that. She and Philip are being quite cold with each other right now” Peggy said as she then let out an exhausted sigh and added “He’s not being as supportive as he should be”

“We can’t all have a Steve” Margaret said in a more light tone. Peggy smirked and raised a brow to her “I don’t see you complaining about Peter”

“Believe me I’m not” Margaret smiled brightly, then sighing shortly afterwards “I just wish he wasn’t away for so long”

“If my love with Steve can last four years of being apart, you and Peter will be perfectly fine” Peggy rubbed her arm and then heard her husband call her from the back room “Uh...Pegs. Code two. I can’t deal with a code two”

Peggy roughly rubbed her forehead and groaned, she looked to Margaret and whispered “Men are more babies than babies are”

Margaret let out a quiet laugh as Peggy put their conversation on hold for a moment and went into the back room. Seeing Steve holding Charlotte in a new awkward matter. Peggy rolled her eyes and took their daughter out of his eyes “You are ridiculous”

“Look I mastered changing a code one”

“Code one is if she urinates it’s barely even a task” Peggy said with a light laugh as she lowered Charlotte down on the changing table “Now we could be like how my mother was with me and just have the maids do it  _ or  _ we can carry on trying to be normal parents” 

Steve lightly smiled and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, resting his head on her shoulder “I’m a slow learner is that okay?”

Peggy turned her head and placed a soft kiss on his nose before whispering sweetly “It’s okay” she looked back down to their daughter and slapped his hands “Now go make yourself useful and keep Margaret company”

Steve let out a chuckle with his lips against the back of her head and gave her a quick kiss there before leaving her to it and jumping into conversation with Margaret, which was never dull.

* * *

They went for a walk that Sunday after attending church. A nice long walk through their  _ private  _ countryside. As Peggy pushed the pram, Steve had his arm over her shoulder, as they both embraced the refreshing air, Steve pressed his lips against the top of her head 

“So. More kids? Yes? No”

Peggy laughed breathlessly “Steady on. I’ve only just had this one out of me”

“I know!” Steve snickered “I don’t mean now, I just mean in the future”

Peggy rested her head against his shoulder for a moment and then looked out to the lake to their left as she thought about it. She then shrugged and looked ahead “Perhaps. But may I be honest?”

“You always are”

Peggy rubbed her lips together before saying “I may feel differently about this later on but right now I am perfectly happy with it just being the three of us” she looked to him with a small smile “And you?”

“Well, I had Buck but apart from that. I no siblings, always wanted one. Always imagined that if I had a kid, I’d want them to have a brother or sister” he gently smiled to her “But it’s your body who has to go through all of that not me”

“So thoughtful” she teased him in a small mutter before kissing him on the cheek and carry on walking. Steve looked down to their daughter, who was sound asleep in the pram, he smiled and nodded “You’re right though, just the three of us is perfect right now”

Steve gave her a gentle kiss against her temple, he gave her arm a squeeze “Did I miss hear before or was the Prime Minister asking for your help at church today?”

“Yes to wash away his sins” she dryly joked, then smirking at herself. She shook her head and gave him a proper answer “He was asking me for help regarding Margaret, which is all that anyone ever does nowadays. He asked if I would do the jobs instead of her”

“And? What did you say?”

“I said no. I’m not doing that, they can bugger off. If this all happened a year ago then yes I would have probably contributed but I just want to focus on being with our daughter. She’s only a few weeks old” she shook her head “Besides, it would make Margaret feel useless and I for one will not contribute to her feeling that way”

“You make a good argument Miss Carter”

“Mrs Rogers to you” Peggy smirked to her before coming to a halt in their walk and getting on her tip toes ever so slightly to press her lips against his. Steve pressed his hand against her back to bring her closer to him. After a moment, she pulled her lips away and pressed her forehead against his for a brief moment before they carried on walking.

* * *

Margaret seemed to push the Prime Minister too far. Churchill sent for her mother be located in Scotland and brought back to take over the duties after Peggy refused to do so. And now she felt rather guilty seen as though her Aunt escaped to Scotland to try and get away from it all.

The sixth month tour was over a few weeks after that and Elizabeth was back along side Philip, though after what Peggy heard happened on the tour, she was surprised Elizabeth didn’t leave him there. A part of her felt like she should have after what she was told. Philip could be an arse at the best of times but when he’s frustrated he tends to take it out on the person who is always by his side. His wife.

Getting home, they acted like nothing happened. For the sake of their children above everything. Maybe for the sake of her own sanity as well. Steve was in the living room of the palace with Charlotte, Philip and their children. Peggy waited for Elizabeth as she came through, giving her a gentle smile “Welcome back”

Peggy put her hands on Elizabeth’s arms as they leaned forward and gave each other a kiss on the cheek.

“How have things been?”

“Well  _ I  _ have had a lovely six months with all the peace and quiet”

Elizabeth squinted at her “I can’t tell if you are being sarcastic or not”

Peggy shrugged “A tad. I did have Mr Churchill knocking on my door and demanding I either tell Margaret off as if she was a five year old or take over entirely”

Elizabeth frowned “I’m sorry. I know that you no longer want to have part in  _ the circus  _ as Philip likes to call it”

“I suppose I will always be part of it” Peggy said as she looked over to Steve. Elizabeth tilted her head and asked with an ounce of concern “Is everything alright with you two?”

Peggy’s head quickly snapped back to her cousin “Hm? Oh yes fine! Fine he’s just..he just isn’t too pleased when I am being  _ hounded  _ by all sorts of people when we are trying to be as much of a family as possible. Even though I have tried to get it across that we will never truly have that  _ normal  _ family life”

“Have you two argued?”

“No” Peggy shook her head and folded her arms “We never argue, but he’s my husband I can tell when things are bothering him”

Elizabeth then too glanced to him, looking towards Philip for a moment as well. Both men wanted the same things, they both wanted a semi normal life for the chance to be a family without being pulled pillar to post every few days. Steve was still rather new to this. Philip however wasn’t and yet he still acts like it’s all news to him.

“And you two?” Peggy asked quietly.

“Water under the bridge” Elizabeth said as she looked back to Peggy, as if it was nothing. Peggy raised to brow to her “Throwing a whiskey glass at his head and then a tennis racket is just  _ water in the bridge _ ”

“I missed on both accounts”

Peggy frowned to her which made her sigh and put her hand on her arms “Every marriage is different. Ours is just very... _ heated _ at times, yours is very much different”

“So I wouldn’t understand?”

Elizabeth just shrugged at her. She felt like if she said that it would sound harsh. But Peggy saw her point, perhaps she didn’t understand. Elizabeth and Philip got their back ups very quickly and snapped. Opposites attract and that’s what attracted them towards each other in the first place, but with this job, the way they approach things different gets the other frustrated. To avoid going down the path of relationships, Peggy swiftly changed the subject “Churchill will be here soon. Prepare yourself for a whirlwind, he didn’t care for how Margaret handled these past few months”

“I’m not too thrilled either” Elizabeth muttered.

“Please go easy. To be truthful she is finding this ordeal with Peter rather hard”

Elizabeth was sympathetic of course and it killed her that she had to come down to the decision she had to make and put her through all of that. But she couldn’t have it interfering with her reputation as the Queen. It would only come down on her harder than it would for Margaret since she would get in trouble for allowing it to happen in the first place.  

“Ma’am” one of the palace staff approached them, looking to Elizabeth “The Prime Minister’s arrived”

She glanced to Peggy with the look of dread. Partly teasing. Peggy smirked to her and nodded to behind her “Go and get it over with...I’ll see you when you’re let out”

Elizabeth sighed and muttered under her breath “How wonderful to be back”

Peggy huffed a small laugh as Elizabeth passed her. She then joined Steve, who was sat at the table with their sleeping daughter in his arms as Philip ran around with Anne and Charles. Steve looked over to Peggy as she walked towards him. Taking his breath away as per usual, he held Charlotte with just one arm as he parted them for Peggy to take a seat on his lap, which she did without hesitation. Sidewards on she sat and took Charlotte in her arms.

“You okay?” Steve whispered with his lips against her ear. Peggy turned and gently smiled to him “Yes”

She softly touched his lips with her own before they paid attention to the biggest child of them all. Philip.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one is slightly shorter, having a spot of writers block.

_ 1954 _

 Margaret just had to wait less than a year now for Peter to come home. 10 months to go. Charlotte was getting bigger everyday and Steve and Peggy still tried to stay as that family unit without all the bother from the circus. Sometimes they managed it, sometimes they didn’t. They took things as they went. 

They always said how they didn’t want to be disturb and even had less staff around the house to try and normalise as much as possible. In the mornings, Peggy would bring Charlotte into their room everyday and they would stay in bed for an extra house, just the three of them. 

 Peggy slapped his arm in mid laugh “You’ll drop her”

 “Will not. We’ve been practising” Steve said, resting Charlotte on his lap for a moment, then giving her a nod and whispering “Like we rehearsed”

“Dear lord” Peggy lay back on the mattress and then looked over to them. Steve held onto his baby’s waist and then raised her up above his head, gasping to her every time as if she was impressing him and that she was flying. He brought her back down, giving her a quick kiss and then quickly up again.Every Time he did it, he kissed her lifted her back up Peggy watched the excited expression on her daughter's face and it did well and truly warm her heart. 

Steve then brought her back down for good and blew a raspberry against her cheek, making her giggle. Which was just about the greatest sound on earth. Peggy ran her fingers through her daughter’s fair dark blonde locks and gazed into her big brown eyes. She was beautiful. Charlotte crawled from Steve’s chest over to Peggy and pushed her forehead to hers. Peggy scrunched her nose up against Charlotte’s and then gave her a gentle kiss before taking hold of her. 

Charlotte put her tiny hand to Peggy’s mouth and took a good long stare at her. Charlotte began to mumble and then suddenly just came out with the word “Mama”

Peggy’s head suddenly snapped to Steve, who looked just as shocked as she did. Peggy then looked back to Charlotte and sat up in the bed “What did you just say, darling?”

Charlotte just looked at them, Steve leaned forward and stroked her cheek before pointing to Peggy “Lottie. Who’s this?”

Charlotte looked at Steve pointing and then grinned as she said in an excited shriek “Mama!” 

Tears then filled her eyes straight away. All Charlotte has said until now was just  _ ‘ooh _ ’s and little words that weren’t considered english. But this was her first real word. Peggy let out a breathless grin as tears streamed down her face, she pulled Charlotte close and cried out of sheer happiness “Oh, baby, you’re talking” she pressed her lips against her baby’s perfect round cheeks and then just gazed at her.

Charlotte had no idea what she had just come out with was something that her parents will remember for the rest of their lives. Steve took hold of her hand and whispered in a playful voice “Now say Dadda”

“Bugger off, this is my time to shine” Peggy said, pressing her hand against his chest. He looked at her and smiled, then nodded and saying as he took his lips to her “You’ve always shined to me” 

Peggy smiled and then latched onto his lips for a brief moment before Charlotte pressed her head between theirs to get some actual attention again. And right now, she deserved it more than anyone. 

* * *

“Her first word” Elizabeth said in totally awe, rubbing her cousin’s back as they walked through the stables “Peggy that is wonderful”

“And it was ‘mama’ so I believe I win” 

“Don’t let him forget that” Elizabeth mumbled, then saying with a small smirk “Goodness knows Philip doesn’t to me with Charles and I don’t to him with Anne”

“If we have another, I suppose he will have some pressure on him”

Elizabeth looked to Peggy and raised a brow “You’re discussing it?”

Peggy shrugged “He mentioned it to me a few months back, last year. At that point I said I just liked it as the three of us and now...I feel as though I still do” she looked to Elizabeth and shrugged again “But what will be will be” 

“Indeed it will” 

Peggy looked back ahead and saw a childhood friend of their approaching “Porchey! How the devil are you?”

Porchey smiled to her, with his arms up for a moment before he put his hands on her arms and leaned forward, kissing both cheeks. Porchey had been a friend of the Windsor sisters and Peggy for god knows how long now. The main thing that stuck in Peggy’s mind about him was that he was desperately in love with her cousin currently beside her.

Porchey grinned “Peggy. It has been too long, I feel as if I haven’t seen you in so long!”

“Yes well I’ve been more sat back lately, with the baby and everything”

“The last time I saw her she was a tiny little thing, how is she now?”

“Bigger. Still beautiful” Peggy gleamed, seeming to be the proudest mother on earth. Elizabeth then added on “She also just said her first word this morning”

“Amazing!” He cheered then leaning forward and muttered “You or your husband?”

“Me”

“Even better” he nudged her with his elbow before standing back up straight. Peggy grinned at him and let out a small laugh as she too stood up straight as he did the same, she tucked her hands in her coat “How are the horses coming?”

“Splendid” Porchey smiled, with Elizabeth then praising him even more by saying “Better than ever in fact” 

Peggy watched Porchy give Elizabeth a grateful expression and warm smile. She took in a breath and then said, rubbing his arm “I heard about your engagement. Congratulations” 

“Thank you. She’s lovely”

“So I’ve heard” 

After a brief moment of silence, Porchey cleared his throat and then said as he tucked his hands in his jacket “Well I suppose I should go back and review the potential horses for our little experiment” 

Porchey and Elizabeth were looking at getting a mare for their championship thoroughbred to breed with. To hopefully have a new champion as a result. Peggy and Elizabeth gave him a farewell smile and watched him walk away, as they did, Peggy couldn’t help but shake her head “Fancy Porchey getting engaged”

“People get engaged everyday” Elizabeth laughed breathlessly. 

Peggy then raised a brow to her and looked down to the floor as they carried on walking, but it did not go unnoticed by Elizabeth “I saw that. What is it?”

“Nothing. Nothing” 

Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes as she looked away from her “Not you as well”

“What?”

“Margaret was saying the same thing yesterday about him holding a torch for me and something ridiculous like that” 

Peggy shrugged as she folded her arms “Well, he sort of did”

“Peggy” She groaned.

“I’m sorry” she laughed breathlessly “But if he is engaged then I do wager that he has moved on from his childhood crush” 

“Well I certainly hope so” Elizabeth sighed. 

Elizabeth never liked to imagine that Porchey held a torch for her because quite frankly she didn’t want to imagine that she ever made him feel any kind of upset or heartache since all she has ever seen is Philip. She also felt like it meant people assumed she had led him a stray, even though it’s utter nonsense. 

* * *

Peggy arched her neck as Steve pressed his lips against it from behind. She sighed a satisfied breath with her eyes closed and then pushed him back as she said in a quiet tease “Don’t. I’m mad at you”

“What for?” Steve said in a breathless laugh whilst also feeling slightly nervous that she might full well be mad at him. Peggy turned to him, her back resting against his broad palms and said as she rested her hands against his suited up chest “Leaving me alone whilst you go out”

“I said if you didn’t want me to go then I wouldn’t”

“I know” Peggy sighed, walking over to the bed where Charlotte was playing with her small fluffy toys, she ran her hand over the baby’s head and then commented “I do think it is good for you to keep a tight bond with Philip…”

“But?” Steve said, raising his brows, a small smirk growing on his face. 

Peggy looked to him and shook her head “But I don’t want you to be too tight. He’s out every night and I  _ know  _ it would drive me mad as much as it drives Lilibet mad” 

Steve dropped his folded arms and walked towards her “It’s just one night. I’ll be back before you even know it...and I know you’ll be up because let’s face it you won’t be able to sleep until I get home” 

“Hopefully that should give you the motivation to not come in bladdered”

Steve huffed a laugh and shook his head to her “You know I’m not a big drinker anyway” 

“True” Peggy said, looking back down to Charlotte. Then there was a knock on the door and one of the house staff walked in just a few steps and announced “Pardon me Your highness” he looked to Steve “The Duke is here for you, Sir” 

Steve nodded “Okay, if you could go back out and tell him I won’t be long, please”

“Of course, Sir” he nodded and then walked back out. Steve looked back to Peggy who pretended to be more upset than she actually was, she pouted and nodded her head to outside “Go on then. Just leave us all alone in this big house”

Steve frowned “Stop it. You’re making me feel bad” 

“You’ll just have to make it up to us” Peggy said with a smile as she propped Charlotte down on her lap. He softly stroked Charlotte’s cheek and nodded “You can count on it. Is Margaret not in?”

“No she’s at a dinner party. Honestly Steve I am only pulling your leg, it’s fine. Go out, have fun” she smiled to him. She looked at him up and down and said in a teasing whisper “You look bloody gorgeous by the way” 

Steve chuckled and blushed. He then leaned down and kissed his daughter’s head before pressing his lips to Peggy’s. Just one touch of her lips made him want to stay here with her. But he already promised Philip. Steve pulled back and gave her forehead a quick kiss “I won’t be too long, baby, I promise” 

“I’ll hold you to that. Now don’t keep him waiting else he will just storm in here” Peggy said with a smirk, slapping his backside as he walked past and headed over to the door. She watched him leave till the door was shut. 

Peggy then bowed her head down to Charlotte and kissed her temple before whispering as she played with her hands “Just you and I tonight” 

Charlotte just let out a happy little squeal as Peggy kissed her and then wiggled about on Peggy’s lap. She then lay back on the mattress and watched her daughter plod about on the bed. Stroking her back and sighing “We have to make sure your Uncle Philip doesn’t become a bad influence on daddy” 

Charlotte just looked to her and made another murmured noise which Peggy just took on board that her daughter was in agreement with her. 

It wasn’t as if her opinion on Philip had changed over the years, she’s always known what he is like, it’s just now that she was married. And especially to a man as lovely and  _ innocent  _ as Steve, who always tried to please people, she was worried that Philip and his party boys would put pressure on him, whether they did it intentionally or not didn’t matter. Philip doesn’t really acknowledge that there are men out there different than him. Whether that was down to the bubble he lives in or something else. She wasn’t too sure. But she didn’t want that for Steve. And she knew that he didn’t want it for himself either. 

 God love him for a people pleaser. 

* * *

A few days later, Peggy and Steve sat down in the living room. With Charlotte settled down, asleep. They sat down to watch the ceremony for Winston Churchill’s 80th birthday. A momentous occasion indeed. After all, he was still considered the father of the great nation. Steve just found him highly entertaining by him not giving a damn for what he says, his honesty was most fun to watch. 

Peggy leaned her body to Steve’s body, the back of her head resting against his broad chest whilst Margaret sat at the other end of the sofa, smoking as usual. As they watched the live showing on his speech, Peggy shook her head “I don’t think he will retire until he is in a box” 

Margaret inhaled her addiction once more and shrugged as she muttered “Well, he’s gotten this far. It seems like that will be even after we all go” 

Both Steve and Peggy let out a huffed laugh. Then taking their eyes back to the screen as Churchill’s painting was revealed. It cannot be denied, it was a masterpiece that Sutherland had produced. Peggy then looked to Churchill’s face and couldn’t help but mumble from what she saw “Oh dear. He does not look happy”

“I wonder how he reacts when he looks in the mirror” Steve dryly joked. Getting a laugh from Margaret, who still had her eyes on the screen. Peggy shifted her sitting position as she suddenly became uncomfortable out of awkwardness for both Churchill and Sutherland. 

“Poor man” she muttered.

“Which one?” Steve questioned her, to which Peggy just shrugged “Both I suppose” 

“Lilibet will be hearing words about it all I have no doubt” Margaret stated, tapping the decayed part of her cigarette into the ashtray beside her, resting her back against the sofa. She looked to Peggy who then said “Does this mean you will give her a day off about Peter?”

Margaret rolled her eyes and looked away from her, Peggy then pressed more on the matter and insisted “There is nothing she can do. Her hands are tied”

“I’ve heard all of this before” Margaret muttered as she looked away. Peggy felt Steve give her waist a squeeze, asking that she would leave it for now. The whole thing was becoming tiresome to him. Sometimes he wished they could see Margaret without this being discussed. 

It fell silent and then Margaret couldn’t help but say “You got the man you wanted”

“Oh Margaret” Peggy whined, closing her eyes as she felt Steve’s chest go up against her back as he sighed. She sat up as Steve stood onto his feet and went over to poke around the wood in the fire to get it up again, or just to avoid this conversation. Peggy looked to her little cousin and said a quiet, stern voice “We aren’t going through this again”

“You know it’s true” Margaret said, looking to her. Peggy nodded “Yes it is but the situation is also entirely different...and  _ you  _ know that’s true” 

Margaret rubbed her lips together and bowed her head for a moment, after thinking it through, she then nodded and sighed at herself “You’re right. I’m sorry”

She looked over to Steve and said as she stood up “I’m sorry Steve”

He just looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a tight smile. She then left the room to go and be by herself, most likely to go and call Peter himself. Peggy looked over to Steve, biting down on her lip, she then took herself off the sofa, straight down to the floor and crawled over him, wrapping her arms around him from behind as they both stared at the flames flickering over each other. Peggy rested her head on his shoulder and muttered to his ear “I’m sorry” she kissed his cheek “She’s just lashing out”

Steve bit his lip and cleared his throat, then saying as he stuck the fire poker back to the wood “And I’m some kind of topic to take from the shelf when she wants to go against her sister” 

“You know that isn’t true, she values you as part of this family...it’s just a struggle” 

Peggy pressed her lips now against his neck “But darling, don’t focus on the little things like what has just been said” 

She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head to look at her, she smiled sweetly at him and whispered with her lips close to his “Focus on me” 

Steve smiled at her, taking his lips to hers. Peggy stroked the side of his hair and then added on as she took her lips away “And focus on our family, because that is all that matters. The three of us” 

“Believe me that’s all I think about” Steve said in a serious matter, kissing her again. She held onto him tighter as their kiss deepened. The heat from the fire reflecting the heat they felt inside with each other. Steve leaned more to her, Peggy’s back pressing down on the floor with him hovering over her. Peggy put her hand on his cheek and said with an amused smile “We can’t do  _ that  _ here”

“I know” Steve laughed, giving her another quick yet soft kiss and then adding on “But I am going to keep kissing you”

“Until someone walks in and suddenly will feel very awkward” Peggy laughed before taking her lips back to his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You sure know how to take my mind off things” Steve whispered, gripping hard onto her waist and placed a wet kiss on her neck. Peggy grinned and said breathlessly “I do love you, Mr Rogers”

“Glad to hear that and you’re not just using me for rebellion” Steve teased. Peggy giggled against his lips and held onto him again. 

They managed to get ten minutes before they were disturbed. And the staff  _ did  _ feel as awkward as Peggy said. 

* * *

Peggy walked from behind her dresser, now in her nightwear and saw Steve sat up in bed, reading. As of right now, Elizabeth was at Winston’s farewell dinner. And thank god they weren’t asked to go to it. Peggy climbed onto the bed, crawling to his lap and pushed the book gently out of his hand to the side.

She cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips against his. Steve’s hands went to his waist and held onto her tightly. She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and then took a breath when she pulled away. Looking at him,  _ gazing _ . She bit her lip and then promised him “As soon as Peter comes back and they can marry. I promise all the talking of us and you will go away” 

Steve smiled to her and just nodded as she then went on and added “I know that it is getting you down, the way some people talk about our relationship”

Steve rested his back against the headboard and sighed, he then just shrugged and said in all honesty “We’ve been married for two years, nearly three even. And yet at times I still feel like I felt in the beginning of our relationship. The yank soldier who struck lucky. You do remember some people said I was using you just to get in this place?”

Peggy just nodded. That rumour hurt the most. Steve then too nodded before shaking his head and sighed “It’s an insult to both of us, baby. There are  _ still  _ people within this whole world that think that. Parliament especially”

“Well take no notice of what those sods think. Half of them are divorced from cheating on their wives they no nothing of love and they never will” she cupped his cheeks again and whispered “They will never know love like ours. No one really will” 

Before he had the chance to say anything, Peggy leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Gently stroking the end of his hair. Steve pressed his forehead against hers and whispered as he gave her a nuzzle “I know they won’t and they can never take that away”

“What are you suggesting they can take” Peggy asked as she lifted her head back and looked at him. Steve just shrugged “I dunno...pride?”

Peggy softly laughed and shook her head “I doubt that. Nothing will go wrong now Steve. It can’t, we’ve already married they can’t do much damage” 

“And who’s they?”

Peggy just shrugged “Government. Media. My bloody family” she then laughed “Don’t worry yourself. I beg of you”

Steve put his hand on her cheek and looked at her, then growing a smile again and nodded “As long as I have you I’m pretty sure I have nothing to worry about”

Peggy grinned at him and kissed him again before quickly deepening the kiss and making  _ sure  _ that one thing led to another. 


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of Peter’s two years away was fulfilled out. Charlotte was almost halfway to being two, Steve and Peggy weren’t quite sure where the time was going. 

They all got together for a birthday celebration for Margaret as she turned twenty five. A big deal for her and Elizabeth. It meant now that she did not need permission from her big sister to marry Peter. She was able to do as she pleased. And all she desired was to be Mrs Townsend.

Peggy rather admired Margaret for her strength these past two years. She had a bet with herself in her head that something would cause her to go off the rails. In fact she and Steve said that it would not have been a surprise if she escaped to Brussels to be with him. But no, she had been mature about it.  Peggy felt quite guilty for doubting her.

They all escaped to their country castle for the weekend in celebration. All managing to be together as a family. Elizabeth would have the odd job meeting but other than that it was going to somewhat like it used to be. Which was something Steve had never really seen.

“Now that I am twenty five and free to decide for myself whom I will marry, it is with great pleasure and pride that I say I am still committed to Peter”

“I should bloody think so” Peggy mumbled with a smirk. Seeing Philip give her an amused look in the corner of his eye. With Charles and Charlotte between them, he stretched out his arm and gave her a nudge. Peggy looked to him and raised a brow as he did the same. Peggy rested her body back against Steve’s as Margaret went onto say directing towards her sister “I’ve kept my side of the bargain now I’m hoping you’ll keep yours”

“Of course”

It was heartwarming to see Margaret finally looking so happy. Peggy just hoped that it would last and everything went to plan. Margaret looked over to Peggy as she heard her ask “When is Peter due to return?”

“Next week” Margaret said, practically squealing “I can hardly wait”

“Neither can we” Peggy teased “We’ve heard of nothing but him for the past two years”

Margaret rolled her eyes to her with a smirk and just drank a sip of her whiskey. Philip then slapped his hands together “Shall we all get out of these stuffy clothes and go and enjoy some countryside? A picnic perhaps?”

Charles threw his arms in the air with enthusiasm. Philip smiled to him and looked over to Elizabeth, raising his brows to her “Darling?”

Elizabeth smiled to him “Yes, of course we shall”

Philip grinned to her. They had been doing better lately. With the stress of Margaret off her shoulders, she found herself relaxing a bit more. There were still moments where she was exhausted but that was to be expected, and dare Peggy say but Philip was growing to understand and even accept that. She’s watched from afar and seen him hold onto her hand more and kiss her more. Acting like they did when they first started courting, as it should be. She was glad it was working out better for them. It is all she’s ever wanted.

Steve put his hands on Peggy’s waist and gave her a brief tickle to get her up for them to go and get changed. Steve took hold of Charlotte’s arms and lifted her up, balancing her on his hip and they walked out as the other’s went off to do the same.

“I know Margaret is happy and all but...Peter…”

Peggy looked at him over her shoulder, also on a look out for Margaret. She looked to him and shushed him. Steve sighed and then carried on in a now whisper as they walked up the stairs “He’s isn't exactly the most charismatic guy in the world”

“Meaning what exactly?” Peggy asked back also in a quiet voice “Will he fit in?”

Steve just shrugged to her and then nodded. Peggy looked to him and said as they turned a corner, further towards their room “Steven. Peter can do whatever he likes. He can go to bed at six o’clock for all I care. All that matters is that he makes Margaret happy. So he is a little older”

“A little?” Steve smirked.

Peggy rolled her eyes “Fine a lot. That doesn’t mean he is any less entitled to marry Margaret. After all look at me. The Princess who married a yank”

“Ey a respected yank at that” Steve said, raising his brows to her.

After a small giggle, Peggy shrugged to him and said as she took her necklace off once they were in the room “All I am saying darling is that there were people who didn’t exactly think you would fit in but you did. Give him a chance. If Philip can then so can you”

Steve put Charlotte in her crib that was close to the window beside their bed and put his arms round Peggy, giving her cheek a brief, soft kiss “Yes ma’am. I was just raising a concern”

“You don’t have to be concerned. Everything is going to pan out as it should now”

“You’re right” Steve smiled to her, then moving his lips to hers and quickly deepening their soft kiss. Peggy put her hands to his chest and lightly pushed him back after a tasteful moment “We have to get dressed. Family day”

Steve kissed her forehead “Okay”

Peggy walked over to her dressed and picked out the pants she where’s for riding that are also necessary for being out in the countryside. A lightly tanned colour which were very comfy and also looked great on her. She picked out a long sleeved white shirt that she tucked in and a light brown waistcoat. Her hair was down and wavy.

Gowns and jewels were always a thing of beauty on her. But this right here was her favourite look on Steve. It was more Peggy, more of what she preferred and seemed more comfortable in. Comfortable and beauty was the best mix in Steve’s eyes. He smiled to her “You should just always dress like this”

“Well there goes the nice silk nightwear I picked out-”

“Apart from that”

Peggy gently laughed to him and walked over to Charlotte. Steve then also changed to more casual pants. A shirt and jacket. After begging, he then also put on a flat cap that Peggy loves. There was something she found very attractive about it.

With Charlotte already casually dressed since she was not yet expected to wear any gowns just yet. They headed back down and went outside where Philip already was with his two children and Elizabeth. She was standing closely beside him, he whispered something to her which made her smile and then kissed her temple.

“Jesus have they been stuck with something?” Steve muttered to Peggy, who just giggled and elbowed him as she held their daughter “Shut up let’s just enjoy it”

It wasn’t long before everyone else came out and they all enjoyed the afternoon together.

* * *

Whilst they spent the day outside, with a ‘picnic’ that was made for them which was practically a feast. Elizabeth had to spare a few minutes for a meeting. No one really minded, as long as she was able to return to them. 

When she did. She quickly walked to Peggy, who was watching Steve and Philip play with Anne but the lake whilst Margaret had her arms wrapped safely and lovingly around Charlotte with Charles and her mother was sat next to her. Michael was also due to come up with his wife and children along with Peggy’s mother.

Elizabeth grabbed hold of Peggy’s hand and whispered “I need to speak to you”

Before Peggy could even say a word, Elizabeth pulled her further away and stood behind a tree with her, glancing to Margaret, she then said in a hushed voice “We have hit a rather big bump in the road”

“Regarding?”

Elizabeth just looked to her. Peggy sighed “Oh please Lord no”

“Michael has just told me that Margaret’s request for marriage  _ has  _ to go through Parliament”

Peggy just stared at her “Please tell me you are joking”

“No! She has to request to marry and if they approve she would have to wait another year”

Peggy stared at her in silence for what felt like forever as she was shocked through feeling Elizabeth was not aware of something “Elizabeth. They will never approve of the marriage”

“I know that. I know” Elizabeth sighed and looked to Margaret again before assuring Peggy “Please, believe me Peggy when I say I was not informed of this. I had no idea. I thought-”

“I know, Lilibet” Peggy put her hand on her cousin’s arm for a brief moment, giving her a tight smile before frowning right away “But you know Margaret won’t take this lightly”  

“She was finally happy” Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her forehead and closing her eyes. Peggy hardly knew what to say, there was nothing she could say or do to make this situation any better. Peggy bit her lip and just muttered under her breath “Shit”

“You took the words right out of my mouth” Elizabeth looked back up to her cousin and shrugged “I have no idea what to do, Peggy”

“Neither do I and for that I am truly sorry…”

“I need to tell her”

“Not now” Peggy quickly said “It’s her birthday. She’s happy. Don’t tell her yet” she then too glanced to Margaret and then advised “When we get back to London, you have to try and talk to anyone possible to listen and have them change their mind. You’re the Queen I have no doubt that you hold power over them”

“Parliament do not have to take orders, they just take into account”

“Half of those men are divorced themselves and are with new women they don’t have a flaming leg to stand on. It is no longer a man’s world. You. A woman being the face of this country proves that”

Elizabeth took in a breath and slowly nodded “Yes, you’re quite right” she looked back to Peggy “Promise me one thing”

“What?”

“You will support me when Margaret finds out”

“If”

Elizabeth frowned to her “That one finds everything out eventually. You know she will start talking about the wedding sooner rather than later”

They then heard Steve hollar “You two gonna come help get lunch out or what?”

Peggy just held her hand up to him with her eyes still on Elizabeth, to let him know they will merely be a minute. She bit her lip and nodded “Yes of course I will”

“And for the love of God do not tell Philip. Leave that to me”

“You must make sure he doesn’t get himself involved. He is fairly protective over Margaret though he pretends not to be”

“I know, that’s what worries me” Elizabeth groaned. Peggy rubbed her arm once more and then muttered as they walked back over to their family “Happy face. Nothing is wrong”

Elizabeth took note and tried to look as normal as possible. When Peggy approached him, Steve put his hand on her back “Hey, what was that about?”

Peggy just looked at him and whispered “I’ll tell you later”

Steve knew from there on out that whatever it was she was going to tell him was not going to be good. Peggy glanced over to Philip who was trying to teach and sheepish Charles how to fish.

“He’d have better luck with Anne” Peggy said, the pair then looking over to the young girl who was climbing over a broken down log to the side of them. Steve just laughed and kissed her forehead before going over and sitting down on the picnic blanket beside Charlotte and Elizabeth’s mother.

Peggy went to the picnic table where Elizabeth and Margaret were unpacking the basket and Elizabeth was cutting up the scones. Peggy went between them and took a strawberry that was in the pot and placed it in her mouth, nearly choking on it when Margaret said “I was thinking about a week on monday to make the engagement announcement”

Peggy managed to keep her composure after nearly choking and put her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder for a moment, with her other two her chest as Margaret looked at her with concern “Are you alright, Peg?”

Peggy just held her hand up and nodded “Yes, perfectly”

Margaret then looked to Elizabeth “Well?”

Elizabeth glanced to Peggy and said cooly “Would you mind holding off? Just a moment longer? Everything’s fine don’t worry”

_ ‘Good’  _ Peggy said in her mind, nodding along to Elizabeth’s smooth explanation.

“There’s just been a slight wrinkle”

_ ‘Uh oh’ _

Peggy feared to look at Margaret but could see her face slowly drop. She then asked her sister “What’s  _ a wrinkle _ ?”

“A formality” Elizabeth saved herself but then went back down again “That no one told me about and it is just going to take longer than expected”

“Well how much longer? We waited two years already”

“Margaret” Peggy said gently “She is doing her best to get it done as quick as possible”

“But it was implied to us that we would be able to do as we please and Peter has been through hell. Waiting like a martyr, seeing no one, speaking to no one and I have been crying into my pillow at night, counting the days and why? Because we were doing you a favour”

Elizabeth looked to her and insisted “I’m aware of that”

“To make your life easier”

“I know and I’m going to take care of it...I probably shouldn’t have said a thing”

Margaret just stared at her, and then Peggy who said nothing but gave her a look to try and reassure her. There was nothing more to be said and she just turned and walked away. Peggy nodded and muttered as she looked down to the table “And that was you not telling her right now, was it?”

“It slipped out. But you heard her, she was going to announce the engagement so soon. It made you choke”

“You did not have to mention a wrinkle”

“I know” Elizabeth sighed, then shrugging “At least I didn’t tell her what the formality was”

“A good point” Peggy said, she then relaxed and shook her head “Don’t worry over it, she will be fine”

“Do go and check on her, she never gets mad with you” Elizabeth pleaded as she looked to her. Peggy stared into her cousin’s desperate eyes and briefly touched her cheek “Okay”

As Elizabeth's mother approached, Peggy walked over to Margaret, who was leaning against the tree and smoking. Peggy tucked her hands into the pockets of her waistcoat and sighed “Margaret please don’t be angry, it’s your birthday”

“It’s hard to enjoy when the man I love isn’t there and it seems more things are going wrong”

“Nothing is going wrong. She is just asking for you to delay for another week or so” Peggy shrugged “We will never understand how hard that bloody job is”

“It seems you do. You and her are always conspiring”

Peggy frowned to her and silently scoffed “Oh Margaret please. You will be able to marry Peter one way or another, you are old enough now and times are changing. The main thing is he will be back next week and you  _ will  _ get married. If anything you should be grateful that Elizabeth is fighting tooth and nail to get things sorted so quickly”

Margaret looked to Peggy and then sighed through her nose as she grew to understand that her dear cousin did have a good point. Peggy rubbed her shoulder against Margaret’s and muttered “A few more glasses of wine and you will forget about the whole thing. Come on”

Margaret then went to follow Peggy towards the table that has been set up before Peggy turned and pointed “Put that thing out. I want no smoke going near my child’s lungs”

Margaret rolled her eyes and put the cigarette out before carrying on to the table.

* * *

“What she gonna do?” Steve asked as he lay in bed, looking to Peggy who was stood by the window and gently rocking Charlotte’s crib as she slept.

Peggy shrugged and kept her voice in a hushed tone so she didn’t wake the baby, she looked to him “I don’t know. She’s going to try and get things sorted before Margaret grows too... _ suspicious _ ”

“But how possible is it that she will get it approved?”

“I don’t know” Peggy shrugged as she walked back to the bed. Steve shuffling to the side and opening up the bed sheets as she climbed in beside him, drawing circles on his chest and added in a mumble “She’ll be doing whatever it takes because God knows there will be turmoil if she can’t get it done”

“And here we were thinking everything was gonna be smooth sailing from now on”

“That will teach us to be naive” Peggy muttered, looking up to him and giving him a tight smile. Steve leaned forward ever so slightly and kissed her temple before resting his head back against the board.

“Hopefully Elizabeth can push hard enough”

“She has to watch herself” Peggy said as she settled down in bed and then sighed out “If she pushes too hard they will see her as being irrational and point it down to her being a woman”

“What’s her trying to get something done have anything to do with her being a woman?”

Peggy looked to him. He was so sweet. So innocent. He didn’t have the thought in his mind of women not being able to do anything as easily as men because he saw no reason as to why he should think that. Peggy smiled to him, sadly and then said “Steve, anything a woman does that is regarded as strong or independent is pinned down as a negative thing towards feminism. It’s just the way it works. Especially in this circle. But a man can get away with it just fine”

“Well then. In that case, this circle sucks”

Peggy laughed breathlessly and shuffled her body closer to his “It has it’s ups and down, that’s for sure”

* * *

The following night, they had a party. And there was just one thing Steve was not so keen about it. Their country castle was in fact in the countryside of scotland. And well, a scottish party, the men are required to wear one special item of clothing. 

“It’s a skirt” Steve said as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“It’s a kilt” Peggy laughed, still choosing a necklace that her maid was displaying for her in three boxes.

“I thought you was kidding when you said it was actually a custom here”

Peggy looked to her maid and rolled her eyes, who allowed an amused smirk to slip. Peggy pointed to the box and asked her to just leave it on her dressing table to then leave Peggy alone with Steve. She walked towards him “All the other men are wearing them. If little Charles can I’m sure you can”

“I’m just not used to this kind of thing” Steve said gently “And if Bucky and the Howlies saw a picture of this I’d never hear the end of it”

Peggy shrugged glancing to the dark blue checkered kilt and looked back to him “I find it rather attractive”

Steve laughed and shook his head “Yeah right”

But Peggy just a raised a brow to him, he swallowed thickly and mumbled “Really?”

Peggy just shrugged and let nothing slip other than another smirk to him. And just like  _ that  _ he was suddenly okay with it. They left Charlotte alone with the child minder who was also taking care of Anne and went downstairs to the party where people already were.

Elizabeth had a meeting with the  _ new  _ prime minister after Winston retired after his 80th birthday. It was now Anthony Eden, a weaker leader in people’s view but never the less he was the one she now had to talk to. She missed Winston though. It was clear to see. After her meeting with Eden, her progression with Margaret had some light shown. Eden had promised that he will take Elizabeth’s concerns and requests back to cabinet and talk to them. So the wheels to get it done were arguably in motion.

And telling Margaret this put her in a better mood than she was in yesterday afternoon, she was actually managing to enjoy herself and dance around. Peggy noticed that Philip was the opposite, as well as they were getting on. He was in a huff again as Elizabeth proposed what she was confronted with about him going off for a few weeks for the olympic games. She thought it was a good opportunity, he saw it as her shipping him off. It wouldn’t be the Windsor family if someone wasn’t in a mood.

Margaret took hold of Steve’s hand and Charles with the other as they all went round in a circle as she tried to teach him some traditional dancing. Elizabeth and Peggy admired from afar, Peggy then mumbling to her “Do you think Eden will convince cabinet?”

“Do you?”

Peggy shrugged as she sucked in some air and then mumbled “I think it would have had a better chance if it were Churchill”

“Splendid” Elizabeth said bluntly. Peggy huffed a laugh and squeezed her arm “Doesn’t mean that Eden can’t get the job done and that does not mean Winston would have gotten their approval”

“Well we leave to return back home tomorrow”

“Yes and come Monday he will be back”

“And she will be  _ happier... _ forget about her pushing the marriage ordeal further, when he is actually here she will find herself become more distracted” Peggy took hold of her cousin’s champagne glass and put it as well as her own on the silver tray that came past them, then taking hold of her hands and raising her brows “Speaking of distractions, you need some of your own”

“Oh Peggy no-”

“Let your hair down Lilibet” Peggy whispered, then going on to tease “No one is looking. No one important anyway”

Elizabeth frowned to her but then gave in to everyone’s surprise. Peggy got her involved in the circle and walked to Philip “I have done the hard graft. Now all you have to do is pick up your pride and go and dance with her wife”

Philip just sighed as Peggy went to walk away to not let him have a word in, she then stopped and looked to him again “Oh and one more thing you can do on the way”

“What?”

“Grow up” Peggy raised her brows to him.  _ Then  _ she walked away from him with nothing more to say and grabbed her husband to dance with herself. Eventually she saw Philip go over to Elizabeth and offer her his hand.

Steve looked to her “Enjoying yourself?”

“I suppose” Peggy then looked to the clock and then whispered to his ear “But I could think of something to do that would make this night even more enjoyable”

Steve raised his brows to her “Your highness”

Peggy giggled and grabbed hold of his hands “They will barely even know we are gone and what’s ten minutes?”

“Fifteen if you’re lucky” Steve muttered into her ear as they walked towards the door hand in hand and sneakily left the party and returning back to their room.

Going back down to the party  _ fifteen  _ minutes later with much bigger smiles on their faces than before.

* * *

“Of course, that’s the strategy” Margaret scoffed as Elizabeth and Peggy sat together on the couch facing her.

Peter had been back for two days. Elizabeth was confronted by Eden that cabinet still did not approve and the only way she could marry Peter was to give up her name, giving up her rights as a royal and would have to live out of the country for several years. Peggy personally did not see it as a win, and deep down neither did the two sisters.

Peggy squinted to her and shrugged as she asked with slight exhaustion at the whole situation “Strategy? What strategy, Margaret?”

“Don’t you see, Peggy? They are only offering this because they are banking that I would never do it. That I could never live without all of  _ this _ . Well let me tell you something right here, right now. I could. Perfectly”

Peggy rested her head against her hand as she leaned onto the armchair and just looked to Elizabeth as Margaret protested further “I am more than my title. Than these  _ privileges _ ...and Peter wouldn’t it anyway...so if that’s what on offer, I’ll give up my title and we’ll leave the country-”

Elizabeth quickly shook her head “That’s not what I want for you”

“Me neither” Peggy wagered in, in a soft voice as she looked back to Margaret, who was clearly in distress. Margaret looked to Peggy and asked “Would you have done it?”

Peggy sighed, lighting her head from her hand and gently shaking her head as she said in a heavy breath “We aren’t here to discuss what I would have done-”

“Peggy. Would you have done it?”

“Perhaps” Peggy blurted out, shrugging to her, then throwing her hand to Elizabeth’s direction “Perhaps Elizabeth would have done it for Philip. We all consider making sacrifices for the people we love but in some cases it does not mean it is the right one”

“Margaret. Please think about it. Really think about it” Elizabeth pleaded.

Margaret stared at them both, with a blood boiled expression “Fine. And whilst I am thinking about it perhaps  _ you  _ can think about this” she directed to Elizabeth who suddenly became more uncomfortable.

“I have a country who is for me. Newspapers that sympathise with me.  _ I  _ represent what a growing majority want. The future not the past. A kinder more tolerant attitude to marriage and divorce”

Peggy shook her head and looked down to her hand, staring at her wedding ring. She had to bite her lip and let Elizabeth fight this, which she did by simply saying “That’s not me”

And it wasn’t. I wasn’t her that was unaccepting to remarriage and divorce. It was  _ the crown _ and the people she has to work with.

“Well then a government in your name” Margaret said sharply to her, then leaving the room. Peggy bit her lip and looked to Elizabeth. They both sighed and stood up. Peggy shrugged “She needed to know. That’s all you could have done”

“She talks to me in a way that makes me feel she hates me. That I’m something I’m not”

Peggy shrugged “Don’t let it get to you. Margaret doesn’t mean it the way she says it, she’s just upset”

“I hope you’re right” Elizabeth sighed.

The pair walked out the room and Peggy walked with her to the front where a car was already waiting to take Elizabeth back to the palace, Peggy said she would call her later and then waved her off before returning back into Clarence house.

Peggy caught Steve and Margaret in the hall talking, she sighed as she approached them and gave Margaret’s arm a brief touch as she stood beside Steve “Margaret, she is only telling you what has been done-”

“It just isn’t fair” Margaret cried “All I want is to marry him. But all of the  _ catches  _ that I have to go through”

“I know, love” Peggy said soothingly.

Margaret glanced to Steve and shrugged “It was fine for you. You brought Steve in, who had no rank at all. No class that would classify as enough and American...yet they waved him through. All Peter has done is divorce the woman who wronged him and we get punished”

Peggy sighed and tried to stop Margaret from walking away “Margaret, come back here”

But her words were not enough to make her do so and Margaret disappeared into the house. Peggy turned to Steve, who now did not seem happy, he had a stern look on his face and then grumbled “I’m sick of this”

Peggy’s brows pinched together “Of what?”

Steve looked to her, not understand how she could be confused by what he meant “I’m sick of being a topic that is taken down from the shelf to use as some kind of  _ example  _ when things go rough for someone”

“Oh Steve-”

“No, Peggy. I’m being serious. People act like what we did was wrong, that I’m some kind of convict. Comparing me to Peter-”

“Peter hasn’t done anything wrong” Peggy shrugged.

Steve sighed and frowned to her “Not what I meant. But it’s good to see you’re defending someone”

Peggy folded her arms and raised a brow to him “And what does that mean?”

“Meaning you didn’t exactly do anything then to set her straight”

“She’s upset” Peggy said with an exhausted smile, trying to lighten the mood but he wasn’t having it, he scoffed “Yeah that’s what you say everytime she says it”

“Steven I’m not her mother” Peggy laughed breathlessly. Steve sighed to her “All I’m saying is I would appreciate the odd bit of support”

Peggy then stopped trying to make light of things, she exhaled deeply and said in a more stern mutter “Steve. Don’t do this now”

“What?”

“Don’t have this conversation here, now”

“Why not? It seems everyone else talks about us”

Peggy shook her head at him and said again “Margaret is  _ just  _ upset”

Steve walked in front of her and then turned to her again. Steve folded his arms and softly argued back “This ain’t about Margaret being upset. This is about how after all these years I am still seen as not good enough for you. I mean. I gave up my entire life for this one. I gave up everything to live this way...I”

He suddenly stopped when he saw the expression on her face, her face now a blood boiling expression, he could tell because all she had to do was give him a stern look in her eyes. Steve shrugged at her “What?”

“You promised me you’d never do that” she whispered “You  _ promised  _ me that you would never throw leaving your old life in my face. I told you before we started all of this that you would have to leave everything you had behind to be with me”

“I know”

“Yes you bloody well know. I gave you the choice and you said that you were going to choose me because you loved  _ me _ ”

“And I do. But-”

“Not buts” Peggy shook her head, she pressed her finger against his chest “ _ You _ came after me.  _ You  _ came here in search for me all those years ago. I opened my heart up to you again and now you are acting like I made you give up your life”

“Peggy. I’m doing no such thing but at least try to understand what I’m saying here” Steve shook his head, she didn’t comment. She kept quiet, allowing him to speak. Steve sighed and rubbed his forehead “All I’m saying. Is that I chose this life, I know that. But can’t you understand that after all these years I don’t want to be just seen poor yank soldier that should be kissing the ground everyone here walks on”

“No one thinks that”

“It’s just me being paranoid again?”

“Yes”

Steve scoffed under his breath and looked down to the floor, he shook his head and then grumbled to her as he looked to her again “I’m not saying I regret leaving my life behind even for a second. But sometimes I do think about it”

“What? How easier it would be?” Peggy said, clearly getting more hurt.

“No it’s just...well when I met-” he suddenly stopped himself. Which didn’t make Peggy hear it any less, she stared at him harder “When you met who?”

Steve sighed and just closed his eyes, shaking his head and muttering “No one forget it”

“No. When you met who?”

Steve looked back to her and opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Peggy silently scoffed and shook her head to him “I don’t believe this...you had someone during those years apart”

“Peggy I-”

Suddenly they heard Charlotte’s cry for Peggy to come to her from upstairs. Peggy stared at him a little while longer, her eyes filling up from both hurt and answer. She swallowed thickly and mumbled “I’ll go. And attend to  _ our  _ daughter”

Peggy passed him and he quickly turned around “Peggy let me-”

“ _ Don’t _ ” she snarled to him as she walked up the stairs.

Steve sighed and firmly hit his hand against the beam in the hall. Screwing his eyes shut together and then pressing his fist against his forehead.

What has he done.


	15. Chapter 15

Steve walked into their room which was now at a painful level of silence. He walked in and found Peggy sat in the arm chair whilst Charlotte was napping on their bed. All she needed was her nappy changing and then she stopped crying and went back to being tired. As soon as Peggy saw him walk in, she went over to her sleeping daughter and gently picked her up.

Walking out the room for a moment, she called for her maid, Julianne to come and take Charlotte away for a fair few minutes. She didn’t want their daughter being present if an argument broke out and the way Peggy was feeling right now. That was a high possibility.

Peggy walked back into the room and sat back in the chair. Staring down at her nails as Steve remained silent and stood.

Till finally she spoke “Who was she?”

Steve sighed and pressed his palms together “Baby it wasn’t-”

“Who was she?” Peggy raised her voice slightly and spoke in a more stern voice as she looked at him with her cold eyes that made all the hairs on the back of Steve’s neck just stick up.

Steve swallowed thickly and answered her “Her name was Lorraine. I met her on the road with the howlies”

Peggy scoffed “Of course you did”

Steve rubbed his lips together and asked in a nervous mumble “You gonna let me explain to you what this whole thing was?”

“Go ahead I shall just be processing how you’ve told me that during those four years apart you thought of nothing but me and wanted nothing but me” she said, getting suddenly choked up.

Steve frowned to her “And I didn’t lie when I said that”

“So you what?” Peggy cried as she looked to him “Imagined it were me when you were…” she pressed her forehead into her palm and just closed her eyes. Steve walked to her and collapsed down to his knees in front of her.

“It never went that far”

Peggy scoffed “Right”

The anger in her voice was cold and bitter. And it cut like a knife, Steve had never heard it before. There was never any need to hear it before. Steve shook his head and then insisted to her “I mean it”

“Oh well if you mean it then by all means let’s put this under the carpet” Peggy snarled, then looking at him harder and saying in the same tone “How am I supposed to believe you didn’t sleep with another woman when you lied to me about not meeting anyone in the first place”

“I wasn’t in a relationship with her”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Peggy raised her voice to him. Steve bowed his head and sighed. Not knowing what to say. He was afraid that he was going to say something worse to her. Steve took a moment and then looked up to her, going on to slowly explain.

“I met her when I was back in New York. It was a few months after we ended things. I was still _heartbroken_ about what happened...I guess I just wanted to forget everything” he rubbed his forehead and mumbled in a weaker voice “I swear to you I didn’t sleep with her. She wanted to but when it came to it I just couldn’t”

He looked back into her watery eyes “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone but you”

Peggy let out a deep breath through her nose and then after a moment of silence she muttered “And I felt the same”

Steve looked to her, hoping that meant she was going to forgive him and settle on the manner, but she looked back to him and said sternly “Which is why I couldn’t bring myself to look at another man. Clearly we have different morals in this situation”

Peggy pushed him out of her way slightly as she stood and left the room. He remained there for a moment. On his knees. Just absorbing all the silence as he had no idea what else he could do right now.

Peggy didn’t know what was worse. The fact Steve was with another woman or the fact that he lied about it. If he had told her as soon as they started their relationship, she would have been upset but she would have been more accepting of it all than now. Instead of five years down the line, four and a half years of marriage and a 20 month old baby.

She took a walk by herself until she found Margaret sat by the lake on a fallen trunk. A part of her wanted to turn and walk away before she was spotted. But it was too late for that, Margaret just looked to her with a cigarette in her hand.

Margaret sighed to her “I didn’t mean to-”

“Just give me one of those” Peggy whispered to herself before reaching into Margaret’s coat pocket and taking a cigarette out. Margaret could tell as soon as she came over that something was wrong with her, the fact she has just lit up a cigarette proved it.

Peggy had only ever smoked a few times in her life and that was when she was 19 at social events. Margaret stared at her for a moment and pinched her brows together “What is it? What’s so terrible that’s caused you to smoke?”

“He’s been with someone else” Peggy whispered, not really realising how wrong that sounded as it came out.

Margaret stood up and put her hand on Peggy’s arm “An affair? Steve? No-”

“No not an affair” Peggy said in an exhausted breath. Peggy took in another drag and blew it out before then going on to clarify “In those four years where we were apart. He had someone else”

Margaret still couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Peggy then scoffed a laugh, shaking her head and then saying “All this time he has told me that he spent those four years as miserable as I did and now I” she stopped herself and just took in another drag.

“How did you find this out?”

“We had a bit of a tiff after you left us. It slipped out”

Margaret bit her lip and said in a _scared_ mutter “He hasn’t cheated, Peggy”

Peggy looked to her as she blew out. She knew Margaret was trying to make Peggy see light in the situation. She was right, Steve didn’t cheat on her, but Peggy then raised another point to her “He lied to me. If he had told me this straight away it would have been more acceptable but he lied”

“I understand that” Margaret muttered as she looked out to the lake.

Peggy closed her eyes and breathed heavily through her nose, after biting down on her lip she said _bitterly_ “I just can’t stop thinking about how another woman has touched him...kissed him” she smoked the cigarette again “He says that they did not sleep together, but…”

“You don’t believe him?”

“I don’t know what I believe. Right now I really don’t know what to bloody believe, my heads in a bit of a mess”

“Peggy. Steve adores you”

“I know”

“He would do just about anything for you”

“I know he would” Peggy sighed, flicking the ash off the cigarette “I just need time to process it all. I need to...have space”

Margaret knew that she shouldn’t go into arguing about it with Peggy about it because she has never been in this situation and also understood that she needed to have time to just process and cool down. Something she has have to of done with this marriage business. Peggy looked to Margaret and then said “Please give this whole marriage situation to fan out. Please”

Margaret said nothing, she just took out another cigarette and lit it up.

* * *

The night that followed. Peggy, Margaret, Peter and Steve all headed back to Peter’s country home for a party. Peggy hadn’t spoke to Steve, not properly. She just told him to get dressed.

They took Charlotte with them and once she was tucked in her cot, fast asleep, Peggy headed back downstairs. Steve was waiting by the fireplace and when he saw her, he took her by the hand “Please talk to me”

“I have”

“Pegs. You just...you don’t understand”

“Don’t ever tell me I don’t understand” Peggy said harshly, pulling her hand away and grabbing a glass of champagne before going outside for some fresh air. Going outside and speaking to one of their old friends, Jonathan. Steve couldn’t tell whether she was laughing with him due to trying to make him jealous or if she actually found him amusing.

Steve stood there and just looked at her, looking like some kind of lost puppy. Margaret made her way over to him and whispered “Go and talk to her, Steve”

Steve looked to her “She told you?”

“She was upset before and happened to bump into me”

Steve bit his lip and sighed “Margaret please, those four years were a living hell and the girl I met was nothing-”

“I believe you and deep down Peggy does too. You just have to keep saying it to her until she actually processes it...but what was it between you and that girl?”

Steve scoffed and shook his head as he looked back over to Peggy, then confessing to her “Most of the time I was talking about how much I missed and loved Peggy. Some nights when I had the odd drink she would lean in and kiss me and I would let her but not so much kiss her back. She was more of a damn comfort blanket than someone I grew _fond_ of. There were no feelings other than friendship”

Margaret could tell that he was genuine and telling the whole truth, Steve then added “I didn’t say anything because I was afraid Peggy would think I didn’t take things as hard as she did. But I did. And then as things went on...it slipped from my mind I guess, because it meant that little”

She nodded and then pointed to outside “Go and tell your wife”

Steve gave her a grateful smile. Appreciating her advice and then cleared his throat before walking out the french doors to the outside. Steve slid his hands in his pockets “Excuse me. Mind if I have a moment with my wife?”

Jonathan looked to Peggy, then pulled a tight smile to Steve and then went back inside. Leaving the pair out in the chilly air. Steve took off his jacket and put it around Peggy before saying “You trying to me jealous or something?”

Peggy scoffed to him and shook her head “Do you really think I am that vindictive?”

He just stared at her for a moment and then said in a desperate whisper “Gotta talk to me”

“You just said that about five minutes ago”

“And I still mean it” Steve said boldly, then frowning to her “She didn’t mean anything”

“I am not discussing your old girlfriend here” Peggy muttered, going to go back inside but was then surprised and turned as Steve raised his voice to her in the first time ever “She wasn’t a damn girlfriend!”

“Then what was she? A fling? One night stand?”

“No! She was a friend!” Steve sighed and calmed himself down “She kissed me on a few drunken nights and yes I let her. But I did not have some love affair”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Because I couldn’t”

“Not good enough”

“Because I was scared!” Steve said with a strain building up in his voice.  Peggy bit her lip as she felt herself tear up again, Steve rubbed his forehead as he took a breath and then lowered his voice to her “I was scared that it would mess everything up. I hadn’t seen you in four god damn years I was not going to make the first thing I say to you be that I kissed a girl a couple of times”

“And how would you have felt if you found out I had some kind of relationship with a man and kept it from you for years, how?”

“I would have been hurt. Yes. But I would have heard you out” Steve sighed, then clearing his throat again “Being without you for those years was torture and I guess I lost my way a little bit. Thought that maybe I needed to push you out of my head”

He looked up to see her precious, upset face and frowned as he whispered “But I couldn’t”

“It didn’t have to be the first thing to say to me, Steven” Peggy shook her head “But just being honest with me”

“I screwed up, okay?” Steve slowly walked over to her, taking his hands to her cheeks “I love you more than anything in this damn world as well as that baby that’s sleeping up there. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me”

Steve pressed his forehead against hers and whispered as he closed his eyes “Can we please forget about this and move on from it?”

Peggy took a breath, she knew how she could play this. She could push him away and carry this on, she could carry on being angry with him which would make things worse, it would make people start talking and one little weasel would go to the press and god knows that would blow up. Or she could listen to what he was saying, believe he was telling the truth that she knew he was doing deep down and get on with their lives, get back to how they were a few days ago in being unbelievably happy.

With that in mind, she nodded as she gently mumbled “Yes”

“I’m so sorry” he whispered before giving her a soft kiss. Peggy wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist, with his coat still wrapped around her.

Peggy pulled away and said in a quiet voice “I just lost my head...the thought of another woman _touching_ you” she placed her hands on his arms.

Steve gently smiled. Jealously looked quite good on her when she wasn’t ripping his head off. Steve shook his head and quickly kissed her forehead “No, you see. You’re the only woman to ever touch me in everyway. Physically _and_ emotionally”

Peggy smirked at him and lightly hit his chest due to making her blush and then pressed her lips against his head. She was pleased within herself that she dropped the anger. Because making up with Steve was the biggest sense of relief she had in awhile. She slipped her hand in his “Let’s just get back in there, shall we?”

“Yeah” Steve kissed her temple again before they headed back inside. Peggy looked over to Margaret and gave her a smile and a nod. Then carried on with their evening.

They only carried on for an hour or two longer and then went up stairs. Peggy closed the door and flung her arms back around his neck, kissing him roughy, passionately. They stumbled back towards the bed, Peggy put her hands on his tie and quickly took it off before unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off and then cupping his cheeks once again.

Peggys dress slipped right off and they fell down onto the bed. Steve put his hand on her thigh that she quickly moved up as she bit down onto his lip. She moaned as he took his lips to her neck and whispered in a heavy breath “I need you”

Steve smiled against her skin and then looked into her eyes “And I’ve only ever wanted you”

Peggy let out a breathlessly grin and grabbed his face, pulling his lips back onto hers and locking her legs against his bare waist. Rocking her hips against his.

“You’re the love of my life, you know that?” Steve grumbled against her lips.

Peggy smiled and just nodded as her stomach fluttered “Show me then”

Steve took more control and stopped messing around, much to her literal pleasure. Perhaps she should get mad at him more often if this is how he shows that he is sorry.

* * *

They only spent the night there and headed back home that afternoon. Margaret however decided to stay one more night, which meant that they had the house to themselves as a family.

Everything that was on the news was regarding Margaret and Peter. Interviewing the public who all seem very for their marriage. And why shouldn’t they be? Especially when they have no idea about the difficulty behind the curtains that was their lives.

As Steve and Peggy played with Charlotte in front of the fire, having the television on in the background. Steve glanced to it “They’ve made their opinions clear, huh?”

“They were the same with you and I” Peggy said, with her eyes still fixed on Charlotte playing with her blocks, then looking to him and shrugging “But this situation is a great deal harder”

“Yeah I guess that’s true” Steve muttered as Charlotte sat back against Steve’s arm as she continued to play. Steve kissed the top of her head and then looked to Peggy “It’s not gonna end well, is it?”

Peggy sighed and just shrugged before shaking her head “It’s not looking good, shall we say”

Steve raised his brows to her and mumbled “You’ll be under maintenance to pick up the pieces”

“Well, I could always do with a helping hand” Peggy smirked to him, then shrugging “In the meantime we can just hope for a bloody miracle”

Steve nodded and after a moment of silence, he tried to change the subject to a lighter note, he looked back to her with a smile “Remember the day we married? And we had to go out on the balcony at Buckingham Palace?”

“Ah the dreaded balcony” Peggy said with a small smirk lingering on her face as she kept her eyes on his “You were cacking it”

“I was nervous”

“Yes, love, that’s what cacking means”

Steve rolled his eyes at her foreign lingo and lay down on his back whilst stroking his wife’s arm with Charlotte playing in between them. Steve then looked to her “I remember how mortified your Aunt was because we kissed”

“Usually couples just smile and wave after they marry. Which is why she was so shocked that you kissed me”

“I think the way it went was that you kissed me”

Peggy scrunched her nose as she shook her head “No I don’t recall it being like that”

It was very much like that.

_They walked out onto the balcony in front of the thousands and thousands of people as the first time as man and wife. They stood there side by side, her family behind them, smiling and waving just as they were._

_Steve, with a smile still put on his face, leaned to Peggy and muttered “How long do we stand here for?”_

_With a grin still splattered across her face, with her eyes still on the crowd she then muttered back to him “God bloody knows”_

_She then turned and looked at him, her expression softened as she looked at him lovingly. She put her hand gently under his chin and whispered “Shall we make the most of it?”_

_He wasn’t expecting her to lean forward and kiss him but she did. He smiled against her mouth before kissing her back well and truly. Hearing the crowd scream even louder at the sight. It was long but sensible. Just their lips remained pressed together for a loving amount of time before Peggy slowly pulled back and smiled as she took eyes once again to his._

_Steve couldn’t help but grin and nearly blush as Peggy proceeded to wipe the lipstick marks off of his mouth. He saw how the older members of her family were shocked, Peggy saw how much Margaret and Philip were smirking whilst Elizabeth tried to remain neutral._

_They looked back to the crowd and Steve no longer cared how long they stood there for, he now had a little pick me up and got back to smiling and waving._

Steve nodded to her and gave a light squint “You’re the one who finds it a challenge to keep your hands off me”

“Hands!” Charlotte abruptly intervened as she threw her arms in the air. To which Peggy and Steve laughed at, Peggy ran her hand down her baby’s head and raised her brows “I suppose I’m not as innocent as they think”

“Pretty sure Elizabeth is the innocent one between the three of you girls”

Peggy huffed “You’d be surprised”

Steve just smirked to her but didn’t comment. They just took their attention back to Charlotte and continued to play with her until she grew more and more tired, as soon as her eyes got a little heavy. Peggy and Steve took their shot and took her to bed.

She should be down for the night which allowed Steve and Peggy to go back to the lounge and sit on the sofa in front of the fire with a cup of tea. Steve had actually become a fan of english tea. They were dressed down into their more _slouchy_ clothes. Peggy rested her head on her hand as she rested against the back of the couch, with her knees to her chest and her tea safely secured in her other hand.

Steve had one hand resting on her knee, giving it a gentle rub. He then heard her say “We need to get away”

He looked to her “Like a holiday?”

Peggy waited for a moment and then shook her head “No. I mean get _away_ ”

Steve’s brows pinched together, he slowly sat back up the couch and just stared at her. Peggy looked to him and sighed “I’m tired Steve”

“Where’s this come from?”

“I suppose I’ve just been thinking about everything since this whole marriage situation has come about...it’s going to blow back up and to be quite honest I am sick and tired of being the side dummy that has to be there as collateral, it’s not good for me, for us...and that baby up there”

“But you love your family”

“I do, I love them to death and they have quite literally been my life since I was born but this is killing me. Being caught between everything. And you and Charlotte are my family now. I don’t want to feel like I am putting you two second”

“You’re not-”

“But _I_ feel as if I am. I’m glad you don’t feel that way but deep down I do think that” Peggy took a sip of her tea and looked back to the fire as Steve kept his eyes on her.

“So where?”

“We’ve lived in my home country for a fair few years now” Peggy mumbled as she looked down to the cup, then looking to Steve and raised a brow “How about giving yours a try?”

If he was drinking his tea, he would have choked on it “You...You want to go to America?”

Peggy shrugged “Give chance for Charlotte to see her father’s roots. Give me the chance to see more of it”

Steve couldn’t help but let out a kind of overwhelmed grin, he never expected her to even suggest getting away, never mind running away to America. And he wasn’t quite sure if she truly meant it or if this was all a spur in the moment thing. He knew how stressed she was lately and couldn’t tell whether it was the stress that was doing the talking.

Peggy took the cup of out his hand and put both of them on the table to the side of her, she turned back to him, scooting forward and putting her hand on his cheek, giving it a gentle stroke as she gaze into his eyes “Darling, I just want to run away with you, that’s all I’ve ever wanted and right now I want it ever more”

Steve sighed, with a soft smile and mumbled “Baby you know I’d do anything for you, and for those years we were apart all I wished is that I could’ve swept you off your feet and just run away with you. But I knew the value of your family and I want you to think about this, like _really_ think about it”

“We would never have had that god awful fight-”

“That fight was on me for not being honest, it wasn’t anything to do with the situation your family is in”

Peggy looked down as Steve ran his fingers through her hair, he then pressed his lips against her forehead “You still want to go over this whole thing blows over, then we’ll pack our bags and go. But I don’t want you to rush into anything. You spend time with Margaret, Elizabeth, your mom or brother and you may feel different”

Peggy looked back up to him. Maybe he was right. But the way she was currently feeling, she well and truly felt she’d had enough of the crown and all the weight it brings.

* * *

**Do you think Peggy will decide to leave? Comment your thoughts in what you think will happen or what you want to see happen.**


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, after spending all night pondering what she had told Steve last night. She received a phone call that the Queen had requested for her to come to Buckingham Palace to see her. And she knew this was going to be for two reasons and two reasons only. Either Peggy was there to be there to help celebrate the approval of the marriage. Or she was there to be support as Elizabeth had to tell Margaret that the marriage wasn’t approved.

Peggy had a fairly good idea which way that was going to go. She left Steve alone with Charlotte and got in the car that took her to go and see her young cousin.

The staff led Peggy to Elizabeth’s study, like she hadn’t lived in this palace for years and hadn’t been in this study more times than she’d care to count.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret”

Peggy quickly walked in and said as she took off her coat “Before you have a heart attack it’s me”

She looked and saw how her cousin relaxed and drew breath. Peggy looked to the door as it closed, once being left alone, Peggy looked back to Elizabeth “Well? The verdict?”

Elizabeth sighed and just gave her a look that said it all. Peggy bit her lip and let out a deep sigh of her own, nodding as she looked down to the door. Then hear Elizabeth say in a _cry_ , a type of voice Peggy had not heard from her in a long time “I tried, Peggy, please believe me I tried”

Peggy looked at her and frowned, she quickly walked over to her and put her arms around her. Elizabeth rarely lets her vulnerable side down anymore, but having Peggy somewhat as a big sister she couldn’t help it. She brought a warmth that she never felt with her mother and that meant it was more acceptable for her to be emotional with her. Peggy put her hand on the back of Elizabeth’s head and nodded “I know, Lilibet, I know”

“I’m terribly sorry that I called you to come here” Elizabeth mumbled as she pulled away, wiping her tears “I just…”

Peggy let out a small smile “You didn’t want to do it alone. I understand”

Elizabeth gave her a grateful look, Peggy returned a small smile and then walked over to the window. The two women returned to silence as they waited for Margaret to arrive and for hell to erupt from beneath the earth’s core. Peggy kept her eyes latched onto the outside through the window.

After waiting and waiting, Peggy finally saw a car pull up. Her breath got caught in her throat as she saw Margaret step out “She’s here”

Peggy turned her head to Elizabeth, who looked over to her. Peggy quickly made her way back over to Elizabeth and quickly put her hand on her arms “Elizabeth listen to me, _whatever_ Margaret says out of spite or upset. You have to just take it. This is going to crush her”

Elizabeth swallowed thickly. Peggy raised her brows “Elizabeth I mean it”

“I know” she sighed “I know and I will”

Peggy nodded again and muttered under her breath as she slid her hands down Elizabeth’s arms “Okay”

They didn’t have to hang about for too long. Peggy sat on the settee as Elizabeth continued to pace up and down. Peggy tried to get her to stop but she was so nervous that she failed to do so. The door opened and the man that introduced Peggy then did the same for Margaret.

Margaret walked in with a hopeful look on her face, she walked over once the three were left alone and stood in front of Elizabeth. She and Peggy put on a smile for now, Margaret had to be eased into this.

Elizabeth finally spoke “I’ve asked you here. To say that I have given the matter a thought, a great deal of thought, the issue of your marriage has for the past weeks, months gone to the very heart of a great number of things, the country, morality, divorce...but also something closer to home. Who I am. What I am”

Margaret still kept her expression hopeful, she walked over to the settee and sat beside Peggy, taking hold of her hand as soon as she did. Peggy could tell that Margaret was also a bag of nerves.

Peggy let Elizabeth do all the talking unless she was asked to intervene.

“Your marriage to Peter”

Margaret was almost scared of what she was going to say “Wait I-”

“No, please Margaret” Elizabeth sighed, she took a moment and just looked to Peggy, who gave her an encouraging look, she looked back to her sister “It doesn’t come naturally for me to speak like this so please let me finish”

Margaret briefly looked to Peggy with a light look and nodded as she kept quiet.

“It’s involved going against members of our family, as you and Peggy are aware. Against senior courtiers, against _Cabinet_ ”

Peggy then spoke for a brief moment “And you know how much she hates confrontation”

Her intention was to keep the mood momentarily light, which it did and Elizabeth was grateful for it before carrying it on “I was prepared to go through it all to support you as a sister, because I’d given you my word...but…”

There it was. Peggy felt like her heart had dropped right down. She couldn’t even look at Margaret, she was rather afraid to. She just looked straight ahead for a moment, eventually she did look to her youngest cousin as she said breathlessly “But? But what?”

Peggy took her eyes back to Elizabeth and saw the dread on her face, but she had to go on. Elizabeth kept her eyes on Margaret “But I realised as Queen...that I have _no_ choice. I cannot allow you to marry Peter, and remain part of this family. That is my decision”

It was the only choice that Elizabeth had. Peggy knew it but Margaret would have trouble in seeing it that way. Margaret would just see it as Elizabeth getting in the way of her being able to make Peter her husband. Peggy stared to Elizabeth as Margaret took her hand away and looked down to them. Peggy frowned, they both just want to cry and hug her but they both knew that wouldn’t be allowed.

Margaret looked back to her “In defiance of the pledge you made to our father?”

Peggy sighed and whispered “Bloody hell” under her breath as she rested her head against her hand, hearing Margaret add on”And the pledge you made to me”

It was killing Elizabeth, it was destroying her inside. But she couldn’t break. She was refusing to break “Yes”

As Margaret looked away once again, looking devastated. Elizabeth did however sit on the other side of Margaret and tried to console her “Will you forgive me?”

Margaret took a moment of silence as tears ran down her face and then muttered “If you deny me the man I love?”

“If I put duty before family”

“Oh would you forgive anyone you denied you Philip?”

Peggy’s head _snapped_ to Elizabeth to see the shock on her face. It was never brought up that Philip wasn’t exactly approved as a husband for Elizabeth. That for a fair amount of time, Elizabeth kept her relationship with him a secret. To bring it up now, it was for the intent to hit a nerve. And Peggy knew it would only be a few seconds away until she was pulled into it.

Elizabeth silently scoffed and shook her head “It doesn’t compare”

“It compares exactly” Margaret argued, then looking to Peggy. Peggy just raised a brow and shook her head as she sighed “Margaret. I know what you are going to say”

Elizabeth didn’t let it lie “And by me marrying Philip and Peggy marrying Steve, we weren’t violating the scriptures or offending the church”

Peggy looked to Elizabeth like a mother does to their child when they ignore what they were told not to do. She told her to let whatever Margaret says lie because she would be upset. But Elizabeth was secretly and highly protective over her marriage and Philip himself. She couldn’t let it rest. Elizabeth just glanced to her and gave her a look as if to say _not now_.

Elizabeth may have come across harsh, but after she said it, Peggy couldn’t help but feel maybe it’s what Margaret needed for it to get through to her. Peggy sighed “Margaret. Elizabeth has tried her absolute hardest but things like this are sometimes too complex to change old minds, in this case it’s the old minds that have the final say”

Margaret didn’t respond, she just sat there and allowed tears to stream down her face. None of them even knew what to say, Elizabeth didn’t know what to say other than “I’m so sorry”

Again there was no response, no response at all until Elizabeth suggested “You will love others”

To which Margaret said in a soft whisper “No, never...Peter is the only one”

“I understand that it feels like that now, but Margaret-”

“Wake up, Elizabeth” Margaret suddenly bit, then lowering her voice back but still cried “You saw how Peggy couldn’t find love in those four years without Steve”

Peggy just frowned and bit her lip as she and Elizabeth looked at each other with Margaret carrying on “You have never been through this. You know you could never love again, you _know_ that I am certain you do. Like Steve is to Peggy and Philip is to you Peter is the only one who knows how to calm me, to reassure me, protect me and don’t tell me you know what that’s like you have no idea what it is to be...unhinged”

Peggy put her hand on Margaret’s back and whispered “Please, don’t talk about yourself like that Margaret. You are strong-”

“No, Peggy I’m not. You’re the strong one here not I”

Peggy sighed and sat back against the settee as Margaret stared out for a moment and said as if to herself “Peter is the only one...who can hold me together...without him I’m...I’m nothing”

Peggy stared at her cousin and saw nothing but a vulnerable, fragile individual. She suddenly grew scared and worried. Worried that this may lead Margaret to do something stupid. Peggy knew what it felt like to feel like it is impossible to breathe without the ones you love. She cried herself to sleep so many nights after being apart from Steve that she actually felt a loss of breath. But Margaret was more fragile, much more.

Peggy took hold of Margaret’s head again and turned her head to her “Listen to me”

Margaret tried to move away but Peggy gently protested “Stop” she locked her eyes on hers “Don’t see this as anyone’s fault but the government. Do not shut us out”

Margaret cried to her and shook her head “I can’t do this”

She took herself out of Peggy’s hold and got up, rushing out the room without even so much of a glance to her sister. Peggy groaned under her breath as she rubbed her forehead. Then resting her chin against her hand as she looked to Elizabeth, seeing the _heartbroken_ look on her face, she reached her hand over and gently rubbed it “Lilibet she’ll come round, you just have to give this some time to settle”

“She hates me” Elizabeth muttered as she shook her head.

“She does _not_ hate you” Peggy argued, then raising her brows “Mad at you? Yes I’d say so, she may even be angry with me a little bit for not being mad at you. But I know all the facts. Mad yes. Hate? Heaven knows that is not true”

Elizabeth looked to Peggy “What will Philip say?”

“What do you mean?”

“He was supportive of Margaret, saying I shouldn’t listen to Cabinet or the Church-”

“Darling you know as well as I do that Philip does not listen to all the facts, he just goes off his own opinions and he _loves_ you”

Elizabeth gave a grateful and tearful smile, giving her hand a squeeze “I don’t know what I would do without you being here”

Peggy bit her lip as her thought cast right back to what she was consider to do in moving to America with Steve. Steve said this would happen, not in a vindictive way, but he said as soon as Elizabeth got in a spot of trouble or Margaret became upset about something that Peggy would want to rush to their aid. And that was not a bad quality to have. But it got in the way at times. Like doing something adventurous such as crossing the pond.

* * *

Steve watched as Peggy paced the carpet up and down the living room, looking at the clock and then muttering “Where is she?”

“Baby. She’s twenty five-”

“She’s a twenty five _vulnerable_ woman. You should have seen her when she left” Peggy ran her fingers through her hair before dropping her hands on her hips, then looking to Steve and rolled her eyes at his expression “What?”

“I just knew” he shrugged. 

“Oh shut up. We knew this would happen. I said this would happen, I said _after_ all this happened-”

“We’d move?” Steve said with a smirk.

Peggy lightened up but still shook her head to him “Are you mocking me?”

“No” Steve laughed breathlessly as he still shook his head, standing up and pulling her close as he wrapped his arms around her waist "I’d never mock you. I’m just saying...you really still considering it?”

Peggy opened her mouth to answer and then heard the front door of the house open. She darted out of the room and saw Margaret walk in the house, Peggy quickly made her way down the hall “I have been so terribly worried about you”

She looked drained from the tears. Peggy stood in front of her and scanned her face before asking “Where have you-”

“With Peter” Margaret said in a cry voice, swallowing thickly before saying “Saying goodbye”

Peggy rubbed her forehead and sighed “Margaret I’m sorry this has happened”

“It isn’t _your_ fault” Margaret muttered as she walked over to the stairs that would lead to her bedroom where she would no lock herself in for god knows how long. Peggy turned to her “It wasn’t El-”

“I do not want to talk about my sister. Not now. Please” Margaret sighed.

Peggy rested against the banister as she looked at her “What do you want to talk about?”

“Nothing. I want to just be alone”

Peggy didn’t even bother to challenge her. She knew that Margaret is deep down resenting Peggy right now. Not because she backed Elizabeth, but because she went through an ordeal to get Steve, a different ordeal but one nonetheless and she got him as her husband in the end result. But Margaret was now alone and she must feel bitter, to which Peggy can’t really blame her for. She was just worried about her, a great deal.

She heard Steve walk down the hall “Peg?”

Peggy said nothing, she just sighed with her eyes closed, her hand gripped onto the back of her neck. She felt his arms wrap tightly around her from behind, she put her arms into a cross and leaned against him as his lips met her cheek, Steve gently rubbed her arms “Let it be for now, honey”

“It just not fair on her, I wish she could have everything”

“I know”

“Everything that I got”

“I know, I know” Steve whispered with his lips still against her cheek, he then shook her head and tried his best to stop her from getting upset from _guilt_ “But you said it yourself, the situation is more complicated”

She appreciated his attempts in making her feel better, and yes she knew that what he was saying was true because she had been saying it herself ever since this whole mess started. Peggy closed her eyes again as Steve carried on giving her comforting kisses on her cheek and neck. Still holding her close. They both then heard their baby cry out for them as she woke from her sleep in her bedroom. The pair opened their eyes again and looked up.

Peggy patted Steve’s arms that were still around her and soon were dropped as she took herself upstairs to attend to her child. She knew that hearing Charlotte cry alone would be making Margaret feel all the more worse, knowing a child with the man she loved would no longer be possible.

So Peggy tried to shush her down as soon as quickly as she could, quicker than usual. She put Charlotte back down in her crib and then took a deep breath as she leaned against the draws, rubbing her forehead and let out a deep breath, which was how Steve found her. He frowned as he walked to her “Baby this isn’t doing you any good, stressing yourself out like this”

“I’m perfectly fine” Peggy insisted whilst still looking exhausted, Steve marched to her and cupped her cheeks “You’re my wife, I can tell when you’re not fine”

Peggy turned her head and kissed his palm “I appreciate your concern, my love but right now there is nothing I can do about it”

“You can pack a bag and we can get the hell out of here”

“Oh. So know you’re for it?”

Steve shrugged as he dropped his hands, sliding them into his pockets “I was never not for it”

“You were hardly jumping at the chance, Steve” she said with a gentle smile.

Steve shrugged once again “I just wanted to make sure _you_ were sure”

Peggy put her hand to his chest and rubbed her lips as she nodded. She knew that he was just being considerate of her, he didn’t want to rush her into anything in case she regretted it. Steve kissed her forehead “You know I’d give you anything you want and go anywhere with you”

“I know, darling”

“Just didn’t want you to make a mistake by jumping into it”

“Right now it sounds like the best bloody decision I’d make in a long _long_ time” She was sick of it. All of it, she didn’t feel like it was good for her or their family right now. All the rules and regulations, all the hurt and betrayal.

Like she said before, her plan still went ahead in her mind. She would help clear up all of this mess and then leave. Telling Elizabeth and Margaret would be especially hard. Her mother would be upset and cry, whereas Michael would be much more understanding and even encourage it. He knew how annoying this life could be and he often got away.

There was a knock on the door and one of the house staff stepped in “I’m sorry to disturb, Ma’am. But the Queen is on the telephone, requesting to speak to you”

“Of course” Steve muttered against the top of her head. Peggy patted his stomach and walked out of the room, down the hall and to the phone where Elizabeth was waiting on the other end.

“Hello you”

_“Hello you. How is she?”_

“Locked in her room, she has only just said goodbye to Peter”

_“Oh...oh dear...well that explains it”_

Peggy brows pinched together “Explains what? What are you talking about?”

_“Peter. He is making a statement to the press tomorrow”_

Peggy sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead, she slowly nodded “Brilliant. That was quick of him”

_“I suppose he wants to get it done with. He leaves back to the country tomorrow evening”_

Perhaps that was for the best. Like ripping off a plaster, quick and painful but better then slow and torturous.

“I suppose I shall have to...watch her”

_“Yes, please do. Seen as though I cannot, she wouldn’t allow me to anyway”_

“Are you alright?”

She heard Elizabeth sigh on the other end and finally brought her words forward _“I’m alright. Feel like a villain”_

“Well bloody stop it. You are nothing of the sort. How’s Philip?”

_“He wasn’t pleased...but he isn’t pleased with me sending him off to do the olympics. Still he was being as supportive as he could despite his mood”_

Peggy remained silent for a moment, trying to find the words to make her feel better, all she could think of was “Well, I still love you”

To which Elizabeth did find humour as she huffed a small laugh through her nose, spirits sound slightly lifted _“Well, thank you. Will I see you tomorrow?”_

“Hopefully”

_“Okay, I shall let you get back to Steve and Charlotte”_

“Goodnight, God bless. Lilibet”

_“Goodnight, God bless”_

Peggy hung the phone back up and bit her lip. She was dreading in telling her about America, truly dreading it. She looked over to the door to see Steve stood there, with his arms crossed. He raised his brows to her as he walked towards her “That sounded really like you told her the truth”

“I was not going to tell her over the phone, silly man” Peggy said in a light voice as she took herself and him out of the room, walking down the hall to return to their bedroom.

Steve put his arm around her waist “How bout we go riding tomorrow? Haven’t been in a while”

Peggy smirked and lightly laughed as she looked to him “We _are_ turning into quite the Englishman aren’t we?”

Steve rolled his eyes and tickled her waist before they went into their bedroom. She turned to him as he held her close and smiled softly to him “I’d love that. Hopefully we’ll be able to”

“Hopefully?” he frowned.

Peggy cleared her throat and slid her hands down his perfectly toned arms, she rubbed her lips together and then explained “You see, Peter is to announce his and Margaret’s split. She’s going to need some support”

“Like a baby?”

“Please try to understand”

Steve walked to the bed “I understand, Peg but it’s like you’ve said you old things off for the sake of your family. Even something as simple as going riding” he sat down on the edge of the bed as he began to unbutton his shirt.

“Why don’t you get her to watch the baby? She loves Charlotte and that will keep her distracted”

Peggy stared at him with her arms folded and briefly raised her brows “It’s actually not that bad of an idea”

Steve shrugged as he threw his shirt to the side “The dumb yank sometimes has some good ideas stocked up”

Peggy frowned a smile and walked over to him, putting her her hands on his cheeks “You’re _my_ dumb yank”

Steve laughed as Peggy leaned forward to kiss him and said “I thought you were going to encourage me I was the opposite. _You're not dumb, darling_...but no?”

Peggy smirked and said nothing to add to her amusement, she pressed her lips against his and pushed him on the bed by pressing her body down to his. She ran her hand through his hair and round to his cheek. She then pulled back and looked to him, giving him a gentle smile “I appreciate everything you do, you are aware of that?”

“Yeah. I’m aware”

“Good, because I never want you to feel second fiddle”

“I don’t feel _second fiddle_ , honest. Don’t worry bout it okay? But I will say this, sooner we can get away the better”

Peggy laughed, pressing her forehead against his shoulder and nodded as she lifted her head “I had a feeling you would say something like that”

“I just want you all to myself”

“Well I can hardly blame you for that”

Steve smiled softly “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I am your wife after all”

“Oh is _that_ who you are?”

Peggy let out a gentle giggle as she punched his shoulder before he put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her again. Then afterwards, they got dressed into their nightwear. Steve put his arms around Peggy’s waist from behind and pulled her close, pressing his lips against her neck and whispering once he took his lips to her cheek “I love you so much”

He kissed her smiling cheek and added “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me”

If anything her grin grew bigger, she rubbed his hands, with her eyes still closed from being rather tired “Thank you for nervously trying to assist me all those years ago”

Steve smiled as he took his lips to her shoulder, then saying back to her “Thank you for not getting your private security to beat me up”

Peggy laughed uncontrollably for a moment, which Steve enjoyed every second of. She had the most beautiful laugh. Peggy gripped onto him harder and then just kissed the back of his hand before they both soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Margaret was more than willing to take care of Charlotte, even she could see that it would do her some good to have a distraction for today. She was still rather down in the dumps, emotionally drained and all. Charlotte was always a good way to lift someone's spirits.

The fun godmother wasn’t exactly fun right _now_ but in due time. Her heart needed time to heal.

Steve and Peggy went to the stables and had their horses already ready for them. Steve had practically claimed Philip’s horse now, he rarely rode him at all and Steve had grown quite attached to him. Philip just let him do as he pleased. They had a normal route that they always loved to take.

It took them by a lovely stream where they could sit and just enjoy some peace and quiet. When Charlotte is a bit older they will bring her but right now they would rather her not crawl over slippery rocks where she could fall into the stream. Peggy rested her body beside Steve as his arm went over her shoulder and held her close. Putting his jacket around her as Peggy read out the last letter that Steve sent her all those years ago.

Of course it was a happy one, after Peggy’s last letter to him which was ultimately a break up, he never wrote back as he was instructed to do. But at least the last letter Peggy received was a happy one. Steve wasn’t so concerned about himself.

“I miss you everyday. Hopefully my deadbeat job will bring me to you. And trust me, this time I will kiss you. Yours always, Steve” Peggy folded the paper back up and looked up to Steve, who couldn’t help but cringe a little.

Peggy gently laughed, cupping his face from behind “Ever the romantic”

“Guess so” Steve grumbled as he brushed his lips over her head. Peggy put the letter back in her pocket and looked back to him, giving a soft smile “Your deadbeat job was the best thing to ever happen to me”

“Glad you think so” Steve laughed as he held onto her even tighter.

Peggy looked around and let out a loving sigh, closing her eyes again to soak in the moment “It’s nice to just get away. Some peace and quiet”

“God knows we don’t get enough of it”

Peggy opened her eyes again, keeping her eyes locked on his arms that rested against her stomach, she rubbed her lips together and said after clearing her throat “There is nothing you regret?”

“What’re we talking about here?”

“Just” she shrugged “Anything”

“I regret a lot of things Peg” Steve confessed. Not knowing that he was suddenly scaring the hell out of her by what he just said, but then before she had the chance to say anything, he went ahead and elaborated without any request to.

“I regret not telling my mother I loved her before leaving that day I went out with Buck cause then I came home to find her on the floor. I regret yelling at that one lieutenant for that I _still_ believe is the reason he went out on the front and got killed. I regret not coming to fight for you the minute I got that letter”

Peggy nuzzled her head into his chest as he said in a gentle voice “There’s a lot of regrets in life. But they made me realise all the more how precious things are”

He saw in the corner of his eye that his wife had tears run down her cheeks, he looked down to her “Baby why’re you crying?”

“You speak like a bloody poet sometimes Steve and you hardly even notice it” Peggy laughed as she wiped her cheeks “Your words know no bounds”

“It’s all true though”

“I know, I know what you’re saying and I adore every fibre of it” Peggy whispered softly as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Steve then pulled back and smirked to her “You were thinking I’d say I regret you were you?”

“Course not”

Steve squinted at her with a small smile still on his face, to which Peggy just laughed off by giving him a little push and went back to cosying up with him. Feeling his lips once again press against her head. Peggy came to a decision “I’m going to tell them all...tonight”

“What?”

“When we get back, after the announcement. I’m going to tell them” she sighed through her nose and looked to him “I just want to get away with you. I just want more moments like _this_ with you. With Charlotte. As soon as bloody possible”

Steve couldn’t help but grin, he even almost blushed. She has a habit of doing that to him. He leaned forward and just kissed her. He didn’t have a better response to express how much he loved her in this moment than just kissing her.

Another half hour they spent together by the stream before they decided that they better get back to Charlotte. When they returned, they were quickly approached by one of the staff “Your Royal Highness, I apologise for the intrusion”

He seemed rather panicked. As Steve and Peggy handed their horses reins over to the stable hands to take their horses away “Whatever is the matter?”

The young servant gulped heavily “It’s your cousin”

“Which? They are both going through some troubles in this current time” Peggy asked as she took her riding gloves off, tucking them into her riding jacket. Then looking to the panting lad “Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret, ma’am”

“Oh dear. What’s happened?”

“Group Captain Peter Townsend...he has publicly announce his and Her Highnesses separation”

Peggy stared at him, her eyes going slightly more wide “Already?”

“He made the announcement twenty minutes ago, ma’am. According to the house staff,  the Princess was caught off guard with the radio on and has now locked herself in her bedroom. People are concerned, ma’am”

Peggy briefly glanced to Steve and then nodded, asking him before making her way to the front “Who has our daughter?”

“Your maid, ma’am, Julianne, she has taken the young Princess and is currently in her care”

Peggy and Steve quickly made their way to the front of the stable estate. A car was already waiting for them. Steve opened the door for Peggy and they got in. The driver didn’t even need to be told where to go, he was already given the order. Peggy hit her hand against the door “ _Bloody hell_ ”

She rested her head against her cheek as she just looked out of the window. Feeling Steve put his hand on her thigh. Peggy sighed as she shut her eyes “Could have damn well warned us”

“Maybe something happened” Steve suggested.

“Perhaps”

As far as Steve and Peggy were aware. Peter was supposed to make his announcement at 4pm. Two hours from now. But maybe Steve was right perhaps something did happen, perhaps his flight back to Brussels was brought forward. Who knew. But regardless of how this situation came to be, it had made a right mess.

There wasn’t much conversation in the car, only a little exchange, but Peggy was lost in thought. She had been fooling herself is what she had concluded. She was foolish to think that she could just pack up with Steve and run away. Run away from the troubles, from her family. Steve was right something always got in the way, and Peggy was trying to ignore that but it was evident that she can’t. Even now she is running back to a family member in distress, not because she had to but because she _wanted_ to. She wanted to take care of them like she had been doing her whole life. How could she cope with hearing things from across the world. She wasn’t too sure anymore.

* * *

The car pulled up outside their home and they both rushed in. Reaching upstairs they stood where the hall split, Peggy looked to her husband and squeezed his hand “You go to Charlotte”

He understood. This was a sensitive thing. Margaret needed the woman who was just as much of a sister to her than Elizabeth. She didn’t need the husband stood there too. Steve nodded to her, giving a tight smile and gave Peggy a gentle, long kiss on her forehead before passing her and walking down the hall to attend to their daughter.

Peggy went the other way, reaching Margaret’s room, she heard the crying from a few feet down. She didn’t even bother knocking, she just walked straight in. Not knowing who it was at first, Margaret shouted through her sobs “Get out!”

Then when she looked up and saw Peggy and her sympathetic look. Seeing how much it hurt her to see her little cousin like this. Margaret sunk back down onto the settee and cried more, they were weak sobs but hurt all the more. Peggy sighed and then quickly rushed over, As soon as she made contact with the settee, she pulled Margaret close, cradling her head as she sat up and gently rocked her back and forth.

Margaret cried against Peggy’s chest and gripped onto her sleeves tightly. Peggy just closed her eyes and carried on soothing her with attempts such as rubbing her back and making soft ‘shushing’ noises.

“I’m so sorry, Margaret. I assure you everyone thought it would be later”

Margaret didn’t respond, she just shook her head and nuzzled more into Peggy, she took a deep breath and just whispered “Don’t leave me alone, Peggy”

She was scared. She was scared of being alone, she was scared of being what she was when she told Elizabeth and Peggy before. Unhinged. Even more so than she already felt she was. And Peggy could feel this, in every inch of her bones. Peggy sighed once again and opened her eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere”

* * *

**I know a lot of people were hoping for them to go to America. But sacrifices are always made for this family.**

**This fic is on hold until December, it will be back when season two of The Crown airs! Thank you for all the support so far, I am looking forward to returning to these people and this story in a few months time.**


	17. SEASON TWO

_5th November 1956_

They sat there. In silence.

In silence for so long that it felt like forever, until Steve could no longer handle it, he cleared his throat and stood up. He walked over to the cabinet filled with all kinds of alcohol, pulling out the whiskey bottle and pouring himself a glass.

Peggy just looked over to him “Please, do come back here and sit down”

Steve took the his glass of whiskey as he stood up, allowing for it to burn down his throat. He put the glass down rather harshly and walked over to her. He sat down beside and ran his palm over his mouth “I thought you were happy here”

“Oh, darling, I have been-I  _am_...but it’s time-”

“To go home?” he said rather sharply, to which she sighed at. Steve looked at their cosy living that was of their cosy home in Brooklyn and shrugged “I thought this was home”

“It was for a while”

“We’ve barely even been here a month, Peggy” Steve said in a more stern voice, then looking back to her “Barely a month and already you are being pulled back by it all”

“This is not about my family”

“It’s always been about your family”

“This about my country” Peggy argued back, motioning her hand down to the paper “Have you seen what is happening? A war with egypt? People protesting in the streets. Riots”

“And us going back is going to fix it?”

Peggy dropped her head into her hands for a moment and just shook her head. He was being unreasonable, perhaps for all the right reasons he didn’t want this life in America to end and neither did she to be honest.

“Steven, please”

“I was lucky enough to get a yes from you in the first place to come here after Margaret’s  _meltdown_ …” he stood back up and walked over to the window, putting his hands in his pockets and sighing “Should’ve known that it was too good to be true”

“We can come back here. This place can be-”

“A holiday home?” Steve said, turning back to her, raising his brows “That what this is now?”

Before Peggy could say anything, their two year old came bouncing into the room from her playroom and ran over to the couch where Peggy was sat. She was getting crafty with opening doors, they needed to keep an eye on her.

Charlotte climbed onto her mother “Mummy” she muttered as she put her arms around Peggy’s neck, Peggy held onto her whilst still looking to Steve for a moment. Charlotte wriggled about and looked to her “We go home?”

Peggy gave her a gentle smile and looked back to her husband, he said nothing. He just walked out of the room.

* * *

_2 weeks earlier_

Peggy woke up in their new fresh bed, with Steve still sleeping beside her. Charlotte was in her cot all warm and snug in the next room. As she looked to him, she smiled and lifted herself up, resing her body against his and kissed his cheek.

Then his ear, jaw, nose. Until finally he stirred and slowly woke up, a smile growing on his face of course once his skin recognised her touch. Steve turned his head to her and smiled “Good morning”

“Good morning, my love” she whispered, giving him a kiss now on the lips. Steve held onto her tighter and buried his face into her neck. Waking up to absolute silence, no knocking on the doors for breakfast call. Nothing to hear but Peggy’s voice.

She put her hands to his cheek before giving him another kiss. Steve then quickly sat up in bed and ran his fingers through her hair as he gaped at her beauty before saying “How’s about a nice lazy day in. With pancakes and coffee?”

“I’d say that sounds bloody wonderful” Peggy said gently, leaning forward and taking his lips with her own for a sweet moment. She pushed her forehead against his before getting off the bed and going into Charlotte’s room to attend to her.

Their apartment wasn’t too large but it was certainly big enough. Before bringing Charlotte over, they went to Brooklyn a few days before to buy an apartment, first look at this and they put their money down. With Peggy being royal, they weren’t going to deny her. They went back to England for their things and of course their daughter, bid their farewells and so far haven’t looked back since.

Though only being two, Charlotte seemed happy enough as well. By the time Peggy got her up and went into the kitchen, Steve was already there getting the batter ready for the pancakes, even something as little as making pancakes for his wife and child meant so much to him. When he tried to do it back in the UK, the staff would insist that he  _didn’t_ do that because he was now considered to be a royal. But underneath he was still just the common, simple man that Peggy fell in love with, and she certainly wasn’t complaining. It was somewhat attractive.

Peggy set Charlotte down in her high chair, then dipping her finger into the batter to which Steve bumped his hip with hers to get her away. With her finger now in her mouth, she walked over to the telephone.

* * *

“And how is it all?” Elizabeth asked as she sat in her study, with her cousin being on the other line off in Brooklyn  _“Oh, Elizabeth it’s wonderful. Steve has such enthusiasm in showing not only me but Charlotte as well from where he comes from”_

“I wager he has been dying to do that ever since you met and Charlotte was born...and the house?”

 _“Positively lovely. A great deal smaller than what I and certainly you would be used to I’m sure”_ Peggy laughed  _“But it’s lovely. Truly. How are things over there?”_

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something but quickly stopped herself.  _No, Elizabeth_ she said to herself.  _Don’t worry Peggy when she has only just gotten away_.

Her new worries over Philip and whether or not he has remained faithful to her could wait until her suspicion was ever made into something much which hopefully it wouldn’t, she just cleared her throat “Strangely enough they are fine”

_“Philip seems to be doing well”_

“Indeed”

_“And Margaret?”_

Again, she thought for a moment as she considered “A little too familiar with the odd late night but she seems to be doing better, in fact I am going to call her after our conversation to see if she wanted to have lunch”

_“Good, keep her occupied. Lilibet I have to go, we are due to go out now. Talk soon, love”_

“Enjoy yourself, dearest” Elizabeth put her finger down on the hook to end the call to then radial and call through to her sister, who did in fact agree having lunch with her.

They sat down for their lunch, Elizabeth tried her best to get through a conversation with her, but with Margaret cleary  still being drunk from the night before it was most difficult “You need to be more careful” she kindly warned her sister “You’re drinking far more than you used to”

“Why do you think that is?” Margaret asked in a tone that came across as nothing other than passive aggressive as she brought her cigarette to her mouth “Because I’m unhappier than I used to be and  _why_ is that? Because I am still unmarried and  _why_ is that-oh yes because you denied me my perfect match”

Elizabeth sighed, she dreaded this would happen. She had only seen Margaret a few times since that whole ordeal with Peter went down and she clearly wasn’t over it, but she didn’t want to keep opening old wounds even though she couldn’t help but fight her own corner, especially now with Peggy being gone “It was the crown who forbade it, not to mention the fact that he was a little old...not really from the right-”

“Don’t you dare say  _background_ ” Margaret quickly said in a sharp voice.

“I just think it might have all come back to haunt you”

“What, did Philip’s nazi sisters come back to haunt him? Or his lunatic mother? Did Steve’s alcoholic father creep up from the woodworks at any point?”

“Now, leave Steve and Peggy out of this when she isn’t here to defend. Besides neither of them are to blame”

“And apparently neither are you” Margaret responded with harsh doubt, leading to silence filling the room. Elizabeth looked down down for a moment and then muttered “I spoke to her earlier. Peggy”

“Yes? And how is she?” Margaret asked as she took her cigarette back to her mouth.

“Blissful, it sounds. Steve is having a wonderful time showing them around Brooklyn...have you spoke to her?”

Margaret shrugged “Here and there. Usually when she calls I’m not in but she’s written. As you said, she sounds blissful. Lucky enough to escape from this blasted place”

Elizabeth shot her a look but said nothing to oppose or even defend this life.

* * *

Steve put Charlotte on his shoulders as they strolled around Central Park, they had been here for nearly five weeks now and funnily enough, Peggy felt rather settled in the city. Their home was most lovely and actually felt like a home. Charlotte certainly enjoyed herself, though she saw this as a holiday and often asked when they were to return back to their home in England. Peggy did miss it, she wouldn’t deny that. But they were going to give this a try, they both wanted to. And Steve was certainly happy enough.

Then again why wouldn’t he be? Not only did he have his daughter all to himself, but his wife too. Which was seen as a rarity when over in the UK. Walking around his homeland with his daughter on his shoulders and his hand in Peggy’s was something he was almost  _certain_ he dreamt about in the past.

Steve looked to Peggy as Charlotte continued to look around with her new six foot height “I’m glad to see how taken you are with this place”

“What isn’t there to be taken with?” Peggy grinned, squeezing to his hand “Not having to be bothered by the press every waking minute of the day?” they did have a fair few at first but it had died down, she shrugged again “The people the culture. It’s all rather wonderful”

“Bit different from what you were used to”

“Yes quite” Peggy chuckled. Steve pressed his lips against the top of her head.

Charlotte slapped her father on the top of his head, gently of course to grab his attention “Daddy!” she pointed over a hot dog cart that wasn’t too far from them. Now  _that_ was something that Charlotte had certainly took a liking to, all the grubby, greasy American food.

Steve looked to Peggy for approval, who granted it. Steve dug around his pocket, partly teasing. Peggy swatted his arm to stop it and put their eager child out of her misery. Steve pulled out just the right amount of change “You’re in luck, Lottie”

They walked over to the cart, and as Steve ordered the hotdog, taking Charlotte off of his shoulders and holding her at his hip, Peggy got distracted at the newspaper cart beside it. She couldn’t help but notice as the front page for an English Newspaper had in big bold letters.

**COUNTRY’S EGYPTIAN CRISIS**

**_Conflict with Egypt has led to the country turning into chaos as riots begin._ **

Peggy’s jaw dropped for a moment, when she and elizabeth spoke the other day she didn’t mention this. Perhaps it was all very sudden and she didn’t know at the time. Either way this was not good in the slightest.

She quickly turned to Steve “Darling, could you lend me some of that change?”

Without even questioning, he nodded and gave her some coins which she gave him a grateful smile to as a response. She turned and paid the seller the fee for the newspaper and took hold of it. Holding it out so she could read it properly.

Steve walked over to her “What is it, honey?”

Peggy said nothing and just let the words speak for itself, Steve read the first few lines and let out a breath, then to mutter “Christ”

Peggy folded the paper back up and tucked it underneath her arm “We need to get back, I need to get on the phone with Lilibet” she wasted no time and walked down the path they started at. Steve looked to Charlotte who continued to eat her food whilst being on Steve’s hip. He held onto her a little tighter and then quickly caught up with Peggy, now having a funny feeling in his stomach. And not a good one.

Just in the blink of an eye, their American life as they knew it came to a close. Peggy got off the phone with Elizabeth, trying to talk through things. She could tell that more things were wrong at home, things that Elizabeth avoided going into.

She didn’t tell her dear cousin that she was coming home, because she decided it only the second she hung up the phone. She knew Steve wasn’t going to like it and he wasn’t to blame for that. She stood there, her finger tapping on the phone as she pondered for a moment.

She loved this life, and God she loved being here with Steve and their daughter. But she also loves her family, so terribly much. She was fine living in what could be considered ignorance thinking that everything was fine and rosey with them over in England. Then an overwhelming sense of guilt flooded over her, she couldn’t help but think of her grandmother.

Ever since she could remember, she referred Elizabeth and Margaret as her sisters. And she was right, they were more sisters than merely cousins. Peggy had looked after them, guided them since all three of them were just children, and now it felt as if she had abandoned them the first chance she got, and she knew that both of them were struggling, struggling to cope in different ways for different reasons.

After Steve left her from the living room when she told him, she later found him in their bedroom. Packing. She sighed and walked in “What are you…”

“Doing?” he said, raising his brows as he looked to her “Packing. It’s what you want isn’t it?”

“Steve please try to understand”

Steve put the clothes in the case and turned to her “You feel as though this is your duty?”

Peggy stared at him and shrugged “We can always come back-”

“No” Steve shook his head and walked over to her “No cause this is how it’s gonna go, we’ll go back there. Then when the dust has settled for five minutes you’ll say to come back here and when we do something will happen to make you go back  _again_. It’s a never ending circle, Peggy. And you’ve made it clear that you can’t stay out of it”

As he walked back to the case, Peggy stared at him and then said back to help her point “She’s lonely”

“Which sister are we talking about here?”

She shrugged and said after a moment of silence “Both I suppose. I made a mistake coming here, they needed me more than ever”

“Last time we saw Elizabeth her and Philip had patched things up and had been happier than you’ve seen them in  _years_. Your words, Peggy, not mine...and Margaret? She’s been going out more and more, socialising. Thought that was a good thing”

“Philip has buggered off on a sodding tour for five months whilst all of this is going on!” she then raised her brows “And believe me, Margaret going out nearly every night is not a good thing-not when her heart is broken”

Steve sighed and just looked back down to the case as he folded one of her blouses up and put it in the case, she tilted her head and looked at him hard “Was life in England that terrible for you?”

“Naw, Peggy” Steve muttered, shaking his head “Our life in England was just fine. It’s making a promise to only break it that’s pissed me off”

“I never intended to break it” she said in a dry voice, Steve looked to her as she frowned and cried “But I have to”

“Your love for your family is admirable, Peggy, it really is. But it can hurt sometimes too” he said weakly. Peggy sighed and took a step to him “Darling, I love you so incredibly much. It’s breaking my heart but I can't live my life being torn”

“I don’t want that for you” Steve closed the case up and put it down on the floor, he looked over to her “And I love you too”

“I’m sorry, Steve”

He broke out a small smile as he slowly nodded and walked over to her. Putting one hand on her arm as the other went to her cheek “Me too”

Peggy held onto his hand and kissed his palm before looking to him “Forgive me”

Steve just nodded and tugged a smile to her again before he wrapped his arms around her and she held onto him tight. He saw the despair of upsetting him on her face and hated it. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, she was doing what was right actually. It was just a shame. Steve cared deeply for Elizabeth, Margaret and Philip too, that wasn’t the issue. It was just getting excited about the chance of a different future and being snapped into the reality that they wouldn’t be able to have that without complications.

Peggy warned him how hard this life could be, he knew what he signed up for. He just forgot sometimes.

* * *

Elizabeth was in her study, just being left by Anthony Eden after he informed her that he would be taking a leave of absence to Jamaica of all places for his health. As she sat there, rubbing her forehead, letting an odd curse word or two run through her mind.

There was a knock on the door, as she looked up, her Private Secretary Michael walked through the door and bowed his head to her. Elizabeth sat up straight “Michael. Is everything alright?”

“Yes ma’am, I have been sent in to inform you...that her Royal Highness the Princess Margaret has returned from America”

Elizabeth stared at him with a light look on her face, she gently laughed and shook her head “As much as I wish that were true, I spoke to Peggy merely yesterday and she was happy and most certainly in her new home in Brooklyn”

She stood up and walked over to the window, then asking “Where did you get the idea that she had come back, Michael?”

“From me” Peggy said as she now stood in the room instead of her Private Sec. Elizabeth stood still for a moment, not knowing if she was being ridiculous. She turned and saw Peggy stood in the centre of the room, with a gentle expression written across her face. Tilting her head.

Elizabeth’s jaw dropped slightly, completely stunned “What on earth?”

“I can assure you, you are perfectly sane”

“What are you doing here? When we last spoke-”

“When we last spoke I was in my own world thinking that nothing was wrong over here with my country...with my family...with my dear cousin”

Elizabeth frowned “Peggy…”

“I’ve come home Elizabeth there is no argument about it”

“Steve?”

Peggy took in a breath “Was disappointed at first but is fine. We all are...I’ve missed you” she raised her brows as she waited for a response. Elizabeth rubbed her lips and bowed her head for a moment, shaking her head and then saying quiety,  _weakly_ “Oh, Peggy, you have no idea”

Peggy took her hands apart and walked over to Elizabeth “What have I missed?”

Elizabeth looked to her, her eyes now glazed. She said nothing at first, she just put her hand on Peggy’s arms and pulled her close for a tight embrace. Peggy didn’t hesitate, she wrapped her arms around her and tightly held her back.

After a moment, they pulled back and Elizabeth motioned her hand for them to sit, she put her hands to her lap and took in a breath “Prime Minister has launched a war with egypt. It seemed that was going to happen with or without my opinion. In fact I’m fairly certain he already had the wheels in motion by that time”

“The public are beginning to stir, people don’t agree with war especially not after the last world war”

“Well it won’t come to that”

“You’re sure?”

Elizabeth looked to her “Quite”

Peggy raised her brows for a brief moment and shrugged as she sat back into the couch, Elizabeth knew far more than she did in the department of government and politics “Anything else?”

Elizabeth bit her lip and looked down to her hands “Before you left you will remember how...how happy Philip and I were. How well he and i were getting along”

As she looked up to Peggy, she smiled and nodded “Of course”

“It continued after you left too...until our last day”

Peggy raised a brow, to which Elizabeth just looked at her for a moment and then sighed before explaining “I bought Philip a camera, after giving Papa’s to you. I bought him a new one, I went to his bag to put it in and I found a photograph. Of a dancer”

Peggy sat forward and remained silent for a moment as she looked at her and then asked plainly to confirm “You found a photograph of another woman in your husbands bag?”

“Well, when you put it like that” Elizabeth put her hand to her forehead. Peggy realised how blunt she sounded and put her hand on her back “Do you know who the woman is?”

“Galina Ulanova”

“The ballerina?”

“You’ve heard of her?”

Peggy nodded “Yes, she’s quite famous...Lilibet, I wouldn’t fret. Steve told me that when on their tour, Bucky and the rest of the men had pictures of famous women to admire. Granted it doesn’t do well for the self esteem but...this picture could merely just be that. A picture”

Elizabeth gave her a tight smile “Yes, yes you’re right” she let out a breath. She certainly had missed Peggy being here for reasons like this alone. She shed light on a more rational reason, and she wasn’t naive enough for there to be the possibility for being wrong which they both surely hoped they wouldn’t be. But she had to keep her trust in her husband until she is proven not to.

Peggy put her hand over Elizabeth’s as she heard her mutter “I’m afraid I’ve been rather lost these past few weeks. Feeling very much alone”

Peggy gave her a loving look before saying gently “Well, I’m home now. You needn’t worry about being alone”

“Thank you”

Peggy tapped her hand before running her fingers through her hair and sighed “Oh I am to go and see Margaret”

“Does she too have no idea you’re here?”

“Not that I know of but who knows how fast news can travel” Peggy said with a small smile as she stood, with Elizabeth doing the same as she asked “Where is Steve and Charlotte?”  

“The car is taking them back to Clarence House. So Margaret with see we’re back before i manage to reach her”

“That’s if she isn’t still in bed, recovering from last night”

Peggy frowned and put her hand on Elizabeth’s cheek for a moment “Don’t worry. She’ll come around”

“I hope you’re right” she stared at Peggy for a few moments longer before saying with a gently smile “Lord, I have missed you”

* * *

Peggy made it back to Clarence House, being greeted back by the staff all with a warm expression on their faces. Peggy walked into the living room, removing her gloves as she did so. There were several living rooms in this place, but this one was claimed as theirs for  _some_ privacy. She found Steve hold Charlotte, bouncing her on his hip as they looked out the window.

And no Margaret.

Steve turned when he heard her come in and gave her a smile. He was okay with being back now that they were back, as he said before. He liked England very much, it was just the let down he had from him being excited at their next adventure coming to a close when it barely begun “How was it?”

“Oh just fine, she was thrilled” Peggy said whilst she scrunched her nose up to Charlotte as she gave her stomach a small tickle.

“She alright?”

Peggy looked up to Steve and stood up straight “Yes, has some troubles but…”

“With?”

“A little bit of everything” Peggy said lightly, she closed her eyes for a moment as she let everything sink in for a moment and then shrugged after letting out breath through her nose “Where’s Margaret?”

“In bed apparently”

“It’s nearly noon?” Peggy said with a bewildered expression, to which Steve shrugged at. It seemed Elizabeth wasn’t kidding. Peggy took herself to the staircase that led up to Margaret’s quarters of the house.

She didn’t bother to knock, she quietly opened the door and peeped her head in. Curtains were still closed and Margaret was still sound asleep in bed. Unbelievable. Peggy made her way in the room, still being as quiet as a mouse.

She sat herself down on the bed beside her sleeping cousin, watching her for a moment. Her hair was clearly still from the night before, she still had her makeup on too. Someone had had a rough night. Gently, Peggy put her hand on Margaret’s cheek, giving it a gentle stroke.

Margaret’s brows pinch together as she slowly woke, groaning and stirring “Mummy leave me to sleep”

Peggy moved her hand to her arm and eventually spoke in a soft voice “it’s not your mother”

Margaret opened her eyes but didn’t look at Peggy straight away. Much like her sister she felt like she was dreaming, she turned on her back and stared at Peggy hard, expressionless at first as she asked plainly “Did I drink something funny?”

Peggy snorted a small laugh before shaking her head “No, love, you aren’t having some drugged hallucination”

Margaret slowly sat up, still staring at Peggy before her expression dropped to being more soft and  _happy_ “Are you really here?”

“I am. And I can’t believe you’re in bed at noon”

“It’s technically seven in the morning if we went off your time”

Peggy gave her an amused smirk and shook her head again “New York isn’t my time anymore, it’s very much England again”

“You’re staying? I thought the next time we were to see you was Christmas”

Peggy nodded and hummed “I’ve come home. For good”

“Thank heavens” Margaret blubbered as she quickly pulled Peggy in for a tight embrace, resting her head on her shoulder “We’re bloody falling apart with you”

Peggy gripped onto Margaret's shoulder and took in a breath “I can see that”

All within two days, she was out of America. Back in England and back to old times. And she would never admit this to Steve, but a part of her, quite a big part of her was missing home. And was quite glad to be back, not at the expense of her family being in what felt like ruins. But she was just glad to be home. Brooklyn was lovely and she adored every minute in there. But as the famous Frank Baum once wrote.

_There’s no place like home._


	18. Chapter 18

They settled back into their lives in England and it soon became to feel like they never left. There was one thing that Steve hated was the fact that they had staff, but sharing Clarence house with people such as Margaret who lately depended on them more than ever made it more necessary.

Still, Peggy had a word and requested that on their wing of the house that there would be fewer staff, no more than really needed. That request was abided by straight away. It was getting closer to Christmas before they knew it, and Charlotte being near three she was understanding more of what it was about. Though she focused less on the religion and more on the object of presents. Though, everyone was guilty of that really.

Peggy could tell that Elizabeth was looking forward to it, especially with Peggy being back now and knowing she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. But she understandably missed her husband as he was still away on his tour and still had a while to go yet before he was to return home, he was certainly going to miss Christmas and New Years. But word had reached them that he was planning to do a speech of his own at Christmas as well as Elizabeth’s to the nation, no one was complaining. Confused at first, yes, but Charles and Anne wanted to hear their father's voice. And Elizabeth certainly wanted to.

With Christmas arriving quicker than expected, the whole family retreated to their home in Sandringham, Norfolk. Where they always go for Christmas and other special occasions, it certainly felt like home more than Buckingham did. That palace was all for business more than a home.

The estate looked lovely, all covered in snow as they saw with their cars pulling up. Elizabeth’s corgis racing out as soon as the doors opened, Peggy had to hold onto Charlotte tight so that she didn’t do the same and run after them since she loves them so much, she was still just a bit too young to race in the snow.

“If she has my athletic qualities then we’ve got nothing to worry about” Steve smirked as he got out of the car, Peggy turning to him with her eyes squinted as she held their toddler in her arms “Did you or did you not fall  _ out  _ of bed the other week? How does one achieve that if they have such athletic qualities”

Steve just rolled his eyes with an amused look on his face as he shut the car door and tucked his cold hands into his wooly trench coat as they made their way in, Margaret coming up next to him with nice hot mulled wine in her hand that she had been drinking in the car, he stared at it in envy before saying “ _ Ohh _ , fancy giving me a sip, Margot?”

Margaret stared at him, taking a quick sip before handing it over to him. Part of him only wanted to hold it to warm his hands up “Did your wife not tell you to wear gloves?”

“She did but I kind of forgot” he muttered as he took the hot beverage to his lips and hummed out of mere satisfaction at both the heat and the taste running down his body, Margaret quickly took it back to finish off drinking once he seemed to be satisfied.

They walked into the house, where in the hall as they come in as an unnecessarily huge Christmas tree, though it was quite pretty. Charlotte was determined to grab hold of it for some reason, Peggy tried her best to have her daughter behave whilst taking a glass of wine that was offered to her. Charles and Anne put down some presents that were given to them underneath as the rest of them looked at it in hopes it would get them more and more into the Christmas spirit, and in some sense it worked. 

Peggy was finally able to put Charlotte down as Charles gave he a solid promise that he would look after, everyone had the same thought that Charles saw Charlotte as a little sister just as much as Anne. Plus he was far more mature than Peggy, especially after she’s had a drink so there was that element too that made her feel more comfortable with it all.

Michael was late, as per usual. They were to expect him later on in the evening, he’ll be here for Christmas morning, that’s all that mattered.

Peggy turned to Elizabeth as they walked to the living room “What time is Philip’s speech tomorrow?”

“Early afternoon, I believe”

“It’s nice that he’s decided to do this” Peggy said as she looked to Elizabeth “It just proves how much he is thinking of you and the children”

Elizabeth smiled to her “Yes, I suppose it does”

Peggy then walked over to Margaret, who was stood beside the piano “Are you going to give us a tune this Christmas?”

Margaret scoffed and muttered as she went to take a sip of her refilled wine “I haven’t done that since Papa died”

“Well, maybe you should start again” Peggy suggested, tilting her head to her slightly. Margaret eyed her and asked after swallowing down her beverage “Are you going to be on vocals or something?”

“Me?”

Margaret shrugged “You know damn well you can sing”

Peggy squinted to her “If it gets you off the drink and cigarettes for five minutes then fine”

Margaret then smiled to her and teased as she went to walk away “It’s a date”

Peggy rolled her eyes and felt Steve’s hand press against her back as he came up behind her and gave a kiss on her temple “All good?”

Peggy looked over to Margaret for a moment and just let out a small hum under her breath that didn’t leave a clear answer, because she herself didn’t know. Peggy just turned to him and ran her hand up to his chest, giving him a loving look “So, are you still adamant in not telling me what you’ve got me for Christmas?”

“Let it go” he laughed as she let out a teasing gasp “You’ve literally got a few hours to wait”

“How about a few minutes?” Peggy budget as she nuzzled her forehead against his, again he just laughed and shook his head “You ain’t getting it tonight”

“Well” Peggy hummed as she looked down to the floor for a moment, looking back at him she said with a teasing expression “You’re not getting  _ it  _ tonight either”

Steve squinted at her and said quietly “You’re using sex as a weapon again”

“Bloody right I am” Peggy whispered seductively in his ear before kissing his cheek and walking away. She made a compelling argument, but he was still determined to keep his word to himself and give her the present tomorrow. It would be worth it.

Eventually Michael turned up with his wife and kids, practically falling in the room with snow covered all over them. Main thing was that they were there, Peggy welcomed him with open arms as he made his way over to her and scooped her up tight. She saw him a day after they came back from America but he had been MIA for the past two weeks because they were visiting his wife’s family over in Italy before the holidays.

“Hi Gidget” Michael sighed with relief, resting his head on her shoulder as he gave her a tight squeeze before releasing her, she pulled back and smiled to him “Hello my darling man. How was Italy?”

“Beautiful as always” he said with a satisfied smile written across her face, then making room as his two sons and daughter made a B line for Peggy as soon as they saw her, jumping right at her. Eventually she had time to make it to her sister in law as Michael went over to their mother.

Now that the entire family was here, Peggy grabbed Margaret, away from her booze and over to the piano “Let’s make this date now, shall we?”

Margaret rolled her eyes and groaned “Peggy-”

“A deal is a deal”

Margaret could see what Peggy was trying to do, trying to steer her away from all the drink and all the cigarettes since she was taking both in much more than usual. And now the way she saw it was if she did this now maybe this would shut her up for at least a few days, so she sat herself down in front of the piano and looked to Peggy.

From the request of Charles, they were going with the classic that was _ White Christmas. _ Steve had Charlotte on his lap and for a moment he took his eyes off Peggy and watched how in utter awe Charlotte was of her mother, hearing the beautiful and effortless voice pour from her as she sang.

With her mouth open, she then whispered sounding amazed “Mama's beautiful…”

Steve smiled and wrapped his arms around her tighter as he brought her closer to him and kissed the top of her head “Yeah, she is”

Like her Uncle used to, Peggy kept her eyes on Margaret as they sang. And even if she couldn’t see it, Margaret looked at peace and comfortable with what she was doing.  _ Happy _ . Like she was before all of this happened. And their voices have always worked well together, it was just a shame that Elizabeth wasn’t blessed with a good voice. Cause then the three of them would truly be unstoppable.

“ _ May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white _ ” they harmonised perfectly as the song came to a wonderful end and had all their family give them around of applause, and even some of the staff who were milling around the room.

Peggy turned to Margaret and asked in a more quiet manner “Admit it, you enjoyed that”

Margaret just looked at her, trying her best not to let a smile slip out but ultimately failed. She just slid off the stool and walked away over to her family, but it was enough to keep her satisfied for now.

* * *

After a few more drinks and chatter, it was time for everyone to get to bed ready to be up Christmas morning because with the way these children work, they were going to be up  _ early _ .

Steve sat up in bed, turning his wedding ring around on his finger as he watched Peggy stand by her dresser in just her nightgown as she took out her earrings “Y’know that was a nice thing you did tonight”

Peggy just looked to him as Steve then elaborated “What you did for Margaret, getting her to that piano and singing. It was like old times”

She nodded and muttered as she dropped her earrings down on the table “I’m just trying to make her see that she doesn’t need to be acting the way she is acting” she walked over to the bed and shrugged, saying when she climbed in next to him as he pulled the sheet back for her “She’s trying to numb the pain”

Peggy rested her hand on Steve’s chest “I know what that feels like. Wanting to make it go away, the pain and suffering you feel not being able to be with the one you love” she looked back into his eyes “I had to wait four years for you to come back to me. But Margaret, she’ll never get him back”

Steve rested his hand on hers “She’ll find someone new”

“I didn’t. Not in those fours years did I ever imagine”

“Well as much as I hate to say it but one day you would have if we never would’ve seen each other again. You would have had some guy sweep you off your feet. I just beat em to it” he smiled to her as she huffed a small chuckle, he rubbed her arm “But Peter won’t come back to beat some guy away for Margaret. Trust me, she’ll find someone else”

“With that optimism I hope it’s fairly soon before she drinks herself stupid” Peggy muttered before kissing his shoulder.

“My lips are here” he muttered as he leaned to her. Peggy grinned and then pressing her lips against his.  She felt his hand grip to her waist, as he went to kiss her neck, Peggy put her hand on his chest and pulled back “I don’t think so, mister, I meant what I said”

“Peggy” Steve laughed, thinking she was joking.

Peggy raised her brows and said softly “Goodnight, darling”

She lowered herself down on the mattress and turned the other way. Hearing his self pitied groan before lying down beside her, after a moment she then heard him say “At least spoon”

She giggled with her eyes closed and chortled “As long as it doesn’t try to lead to forking”

Steve chuckled as he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him, holding her from behind and giving the back of her neck and considerate kiss before they both drifted off to sleep as Christmas morning would soon rise for them.

* * *

They were woken up with banging on their doors by the children. They both stirred as they woke, Peggy taking her body back against Steve’s as she faced him and said quietly with her eyes still closed “Merry Christmas, my love”

“Merry Christmas baby” Steve whispered before giving her a tender kiss. She nuzzled her forehead against his “We should get up, I wager our nieces and nephews will be back to bang some more on our door”

Steve chuckled before nodding. They both took themselves out of bed and got dressed, took Charlotte from her room and went down to the living room where everyone was to unwrap presents.

Charlotte being so young, it was easy to get things for her. All she wanted was teddies. Whilst over in New York, Steve and Peggy took her to  _ Gimbels  _ to get an idea on what she wanted, granted she pointed at basically everything but there were certain things she  _ really  _ wanted. So when Peggy took her out, Steve bought them and when they moved back to England they were shipped back with the rest of their stuff.

She got a rather huge brown bear that she gushed over, a  _ beautiful  _ victorian doll house that Peggy told him to get partly for herself, and Steve got her a play doh set. She got a stock load of other things that came from Elizabeth, Margaret, Michael, her grandparents and Uncle Dickie. She certainly had her Christmas cut out for her.

As the children went off and played with their toys together, Peggy turned to Steve and raised a brow. Steve snorted and nodded “Your turn?”

Peggy held out her palms for him. He smirked to her and rolled his eyes before taking out a box and placing it in her hand, leaning forward on the coach as she sat between his legs and got up on her knees as she opened her eyes and took a firmer grip of the box with an excited grin written across her face. She opened up the box to see a clustered square diamond necklace. And it was beautiful, but it wasn’t the necklace per say, it was the ruby in the centre of it. A perfectly elegant sized red ruby, she looked up to him “Is this?”

Steve nodded “Yeah. It is”

Steve had very few things from his mother, the most prized thing was this necklace that she had which had a ruby at the centre of it, it was given to her by Steve’s father. The problem was the necklace broke after she died and Steve never got it fixed, mostly because fixing a necklace like that was something he couldn’t afford to do.

But now he could do even better, he bought the silver clustered necklace because he knew that suited Peggy best instead of gold. And he asked if they could replace the two diamonds at the centre and put the ruby there instead, and they accepted with no questions asked. Having this status seemed to help once he was over here.

With a hopeful smile on his face, he raised his brows to her “You like it?”

Peggy looked to him with an overwhelmed smile on her face, she put the box down on the floor beside her and leaned up to him, putting her hands on his cheeks and pulling his head to her as she kissed him passionately in front of everyone as they looked at them in awe. They really were the perfect damn couple.

She smiled to him and gave him another quick kiss “Yes. I love you, thank you so much”

Steve smiled to her, now just in awe of  _ her _ , he then patted her waist and smirk “So what’ve I got?”

Peggy laughed breathlessly and settled back down on the floor, glancing to Elizabeth and Margaret who had smirks on their face as well as her brother. Practically everyone in the room really, they sat back to wait for Steve’s reaction.

Peggy pulled not one, but two things. Causing Steve to chuckle “Boy do I look dumb getting you the one-”

“No, no. Believe me” Peggy put her hand on the envelope “This didn’t cost a penny”

“Okay?” he laughed “So which am I-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Peggy held up the box, he raised his brows and nodded as he took her out of her hands and into his own “Alright. This one”

Steve ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box to see a gorgeous silver pocket watch, one of those where you can see the gears moving and everything. All the mechanics. It was a beautiful design, but like the necklace he bought her. It wasn’t just about the watch. On the inside of the lid was a printed photograph of Peggy. He had been saying for ages he wanted something where he could carry a photograph of her,  _ and  _ she heard him utter words about a watch recently so she thought why not put two and two together. It was a stunning black and white portrait photograph that was taken of her a few years back, Steve had always admired it. And it was one of the few photographs Peggy liked of herself.

He grinned to her “It’s beautiful, Peggy”

Peggy bit her lip as she grinned and then shook her head as she got up on her knees and passed him the envelope, she laid her hands on his thighs and just waited as he took the envelope in his hands and just looked to her filled with both nerves and curiosity.

Steve ripped open the envelope and took out the slip and paper. He didn’t quite get it at first when looking at it at first glance, then the more it he looked at it, the more it sunk in and he realised what this meant. He looked to her, his jaw dropped as a smile smacked him in the face “This serious?”

“As serious as the last time” Peggy grinned.

Steve cupped her cheeks, with the paper still in his hand and pulled her in for a almighty kiss with everyone smiling and then with Michael holding his glass up which was copied by the rest “Congratulations to you two”

Steve laughed breathlessly as he pulled away and looked to everyone “Did you all know before I did then?”

His answer was just a bunch of heads nodded, Steve looked back to Peggy who still had her gaze on him as she rubbed her lips together, taking him all in awe and smiled. Steve pressed his forehead against her before kissing her again “Best gift I could’ve asked for”

“It was a team effort”

He chuckled and said nothing, a kiss was better than any words to express how he is feeling. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

They all sat down as a family and listened to Philip’s Christmas speech who was still all the way in the Atlantic, then Elizabeth went off and did her own which they listened to also and found it rather touching than usual, because it was her way of trying to talk to Philip since they have been struggling to speak to each other since the phones have been frying up everytime they try and have a conversation.

* * *

The rest of the day was theirs to relax, to eat, drink and be merry. Though, Peggy had to be merry without the champagne. Steve should’ve known something was off when she turned down a glass when they arrived at the house in the first place yesterday.

Steve walked over to her as they were in the living room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, gently stroking her stomach before muttering “You kept that pretty under wraps”

“Frightening how well I can keep a secret, isn’t it?” she dryly teased with a smirk as she rested her head against his “I did plan on telling you as soon as i was told but I thought it would make a nice christmas surprise”

“It is” Steve pressed his lips against her shoulder “How long have you known?”

“A week”

He nodded, returning his hand to her stomach “And how far gone are we?”

“The Doctor assumes two months”

“So we can be expecting a summer baby?” Steve smirked, gently kissing her cheek.

“It appears so” Peggy rubbed his hands and hummed as she closed her eyes, then whispering “I hope it’s a boy”

“Yeah?”

She just hummed again as confirmation and turned her body to press against his, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck and stroked the back of his hair as she gazed into his eyes “So then you won’t be  _ completely  _ outnumbered”

Steve chuckled and shrugged “I wouldn’t mind”

“True, but it would be nice”

“Yeah. It would be” Steve smiled to her, then leaning forward and kissing her gently. Peggy’s fingers sunk into his hair into a grip as his arms wrapped around her waist and swayed them as he kissed her.

Peggy smiled to him and gave him one more quick kiss before taking hold of his hand and the pair went outside in the snow where Charles was pulling Charlotte around on a sled and Anne was chasing them. Soon a snowball fight began, Charlotte tried to get involved as much as she could but she mostly just sat in the sled and watched.

Charles’ aim wasn’t too great but he was still having fun nonetheless. Peggy hid behind a tree from Steve with a snowball in her hand, knowing he had one too, as she peered round the trunk she just saw Charles stood there with Anne, both giggling. Peggy squinted her eyes to them and whispered “Where is he, you rascals?”

They didn’t need to answer her as Steve came up behind her and dunked the snowball on the top of her head, making her let out a breathless gasp from the sheer coldness, she wasted no time and pulled his shirt out and threw the snowball down his shirt, pressed it against his bare stomach where he then let out the same quivering noise. Hearing Charles and Anne still laughing at them, they looked to each other and nodded. They got another snowball but didn’t go after each other, but went after their niece and nephew.

Soon afterwards, Elizabeth joined them outside once she was left alone and helped Peggy, Charles and Anne make a snowman whilst Steve watched with Charlotte on his shoulders.

They had been back in England for nearly a month now and Steve had to admit, so far so good. Very good even. Maybe this time round things were going to be smooth sailing, but he knew better than to be that naive. Still, he enjoyed this bliss whilst it lasted.

And they were going to have another baby, that was enough to make anyone feel as blissful as this.


	19. Chapter 19

Come the New Year, where Peggy was showing more and the press had now made the pregnancy known to the public after Peggy wrote an announcement to be read out, all that was left now was for Philip to return back from the commonwealth tour. But that wasn’t due for another month or so. He too now knew of the pregnancy and sent his congrats via telegram, which was nice.

Elizabeth rang them one afternoon and asked them if they cared to join them to watch some film footage of Philip in Antarctica. She had been missing him dreadfully ever since Christmas especially, now she just couldn’t wait for the months to be over. A part of her was now rather annoyed with her mother for coming up with the idea but also annoyed with herself for letting him go, but that was on more the selfish basis of her just wanting him to be with her again.

With Charlotte being an added contributor of wanting to go, they all went and joined the rest of the family to watch the film whilst Elizabeth read out the commentary that Philip had sent. Charlotte sat in between Charles and Anne as the three children sat with Margaret and Peggy’s Aunt Elizabeth on the settee in the centre whilst Peggy cuddled up with Steve on an smaller settee to the left hand side. 

Philip came up on film and it warmed their hearts as they heard Charles and Anne get all excited. Margaret then couldn’t help but point out what was on Peggy’s mind “He’s got a beard”

Elizabeth kept her eyes on screen “Yes they’re all growing beards”

Peggy’s hand couldn’t help but rest under Steve’s chin and gently stroked his skin as she imagined his look with one as she heard Margaret add on “Makes him look a bit shifty” the two of them scoffed a small laugh which Elizabeth scowled at before protesting “Don’t say that, it makes him look like an explorer”

“Yes” Peggy nodded, then leaning forward as she teased “And a shifty explorer at that”

Steve pulled her back into his embrace as he chuckled, despite the glare they received off of her majesty. It was worth it. As Elizabeth carried on with the commentary, Peggy turned her head and examined Steve before saying quietly “I’d say you would suit one”

“Yeah? Won’t make me look shifty?”

“Absolutely” Peggy smirked, then whispered as she took her mouth to his “That’s why I’d like it” he smiled as her lips briefly pressed against his and they both then looked back to the screen. It did seem like Philip was having a wonderful time which was a bonus in all of this, Peggy knew it would certainly be making Elizabeth feel less guilty in sending him away, but she could see in her eyes how much she was missing him.

Peggy’s eyes went over to Elizabeth as the film ended, she stuck her leg out and poked her cousin’s calf with the tip of her foot “Lilibet”

Elizabeth turned around, seeing Peggy give her a  _ sympathetic  _ look before mouthing “Are you okay?”

She cleared her throat and simply nodded, putting the sheets of paper of Philip’s words on the side table “Perfectly”

Peggy should have known that Elizabeth was surely not going to tell her otherwise, especially not in front of everyone. The way her eyes were glazed over told enough, and they both knew that. The way Elizabeth looked at her told her that she  _ will  _ be perfectly fine. She will gather her bearings when alone as she usually does, and Peggy just had to let that be for what it was. As they all retired from the room, Steve taking a sleepy Charlotte in his arms as Charles and Anne were sent to bed. Peggy walked over to Elizabeth.

“May I give you a suggestion?”

“You may. Always”

“Go to Balmoral. Get away for a bit” Peggy gently pleaded as she put her hand on Elizabeth’s arm “At least there you will have some peace amongst missing your husband”

Elizabeth sighed “Peggy I can’t-”

“Your the Queen, I’m fairly certain you can retire to one of your  _ homes  _ for a few days. If people need you urgently it isn’t as if they don’t know where to find you...Lilibet you need the rest. Take the children” she shrugged “For the weekend”

The seed was now planted into Elizabeth’s mind and by god let that  _ grow _ . Elizabeth just gave her a tight smile and assured her that she would think about it. Which was all that Peggy could ask for, it also meant that  _ yes  _ was most likely the answer out of all of this because of Peggy’s undeniable charm and persuasion. Peggy looked over her shoulder to see Steve rubbing their daughters back as she slept, resting her head on his shoulder. She would never get sick of that sight, she turned her head back to Elizabeth “We better dash off before the little one wakes up. Lord knows she can get restless”

“Yes of course, I do hope you enjoyed tonight”

“It was lovely” Peggy smiled, giving Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek before she walked over to Steve and said as quietly as possible that they were ready to go. Steve just gave Elizabeth a small wave whilst having his daughter in his arms as there was no way he could give her a proper farewell.

They would be seeing Margaret and her Aunt when they got back to the house considering they all shared it.

They got in the car, again being as quiet as possible. Charlotte was out like a light and usually was a heavy sleeper so fingers crossed they would be fine, still, they kept their voices at a low volume.

* * *

After the fairly short car ride to Clarence House. They went and put Charlotte to bed, Margaret tried to get them to stay downstairs for a few more drinks, but for one Peggy can’t drink and although Steve can he didn’t have any plans to wash his liver away unlike her. Hopefully without them two as drinking buddies she will take herself to bed also.

“If Elizabeth doesn’t take the offer to go to Balmoral does that mean we can go?”

Peggy huffed a small laugh as he unbuttoned the small collection of buttons on the back of her blouse and then said as she took it over her head “Darling, we don’t need to go to Balmoral”

“Sure we don’t need to go. But it’s a holiday home right? Could go to relax” he suggested as he sat back on the bed.

“Like I’ve just insisted Elizabeth does?”

“I’m saying  _ if _ ”

“Okay. If” Peggy raised her brows to him with a small smile on her face as she crossed over to the drawer and pulled out her nightgown. God she missed her pyjamas, this was one of the only downfalls in being pregnant. She looked in the mirror and ran her hands over her slightly swollen stomach “I have a feeling this little bugger is going to be bigger than Charlotte”

She looked over as she saw Steve laugh “Is that going to be such a bad thing?”

Peggy dropped her hands and walked over to the bed “Just means I’m going to be getting fatter this time round”

As she climbed on the bed, she swatted him again as he went into another fit of chuckles “It isn’t funny”

Steve smirked to her, his hands found her waist and pulled her to him, as she rested down on the bed his hand went to her stomach “Listen, fatty” she smacked him again but this time she did actually laugh. Steve looked to her with another small smile on his face, he gently rubbed her stomach “You’re almost halfway there. And taking that into consideration you still look amazingly beautiful”

“Amazingly?”

“You should’ve seen Bucky’s sister when she got pregnant” he pulled a face “God love her but I hardly recognised her at one point”

“How kind"

He laughed again “Naw, baby. Trust me. You look beautiful no matter what...besides. The outcome is going to be worth it, right?”

“Right” Peggy grinned, running her fingers through the back of Steve’s hair as he leaned down as pressed his lips against her stomach. He took his head back to her and muttered as his lips grew closer to her “Makes you feel any better I still want to rip your clothes of all the same”

Peggy smirked and let out a sweet, almost grateful noise as he kissed her. She appreciated that he was making her feel better and knowing that he actually meant the words he was saying, that he wasn’t  _ just  _ saying them. She put her hand on his cheek and pulled his face closer to her, giving him one last peck before sliding down under the sheets “I’m bloody knackered”

Steve pressed his lips against her forehead as she closed her eyes. He watched her as she drifted to sleep and then for a fair few seconds longer before he rested down beside her and fell asleep too.

* * *

Elizabeth decided to take Peggy up on her suggested and retreated back to Balmoral for a few days, trying to spend time with the children. Of course she was completely alone, her Private Secretary, Michael had to accompany her but he knew only to mither her when absolutely necessary.

As far as Peggy knew, there was nothing to worry about in their world. Until she saw Tommy Lascelles hanging around the palace again. Tommy was only around now when there was funny business going on, he was retired and supposed to stay that way. Michael must have called him for help. She rang him up and asked him what was going on, rolling her eyes at him after he tried to say that there was nothing to worry about and once again insisted that he was to be honest with her. Eventually he told her.

Philip’s best friend, Mike, had been an atrocious husband to his wife Elaine. Which wasn’t surprising. He was an complete arse, Peggy had never liked him. She was accusing him of three things in the suing for the divorce.

Cruelty. Unlawful desertion. Adultery.

None that were surprising, but the snag with all of this was that the royal marriage could be brought into question because there was a letter that Mike had written to the  _ lunch club  _ about his antics with women on this tour, none of it says anything about Philip. But that doesn’t mean the press won’t be able to make something out of nothing.

Peggy rubbed her forehead “Has Elizabeth been told?”

_ “Not yet, ma’am. I believe Michael is planning on telling Her Majesty on the journey back to London this afternoon” _

“Right. Right well thank you, Tommy”

_ “Ma’am there is no suggestion of the Duke’s involvement in this” _

Peggy just nodded as she looked out the window and then muttered back “There is no suggestion of him not being involved either. The press are going to have a field day with this”

_ “All Her Majesty and the Duke can do is not rise to it. May I also give some advice to you, Ma’am?” _

“Yes?” she wasn’t quite sure what this had to do with her, meaning she wasn’t sure why she in particular would rise to it.

_ “Because His Royal Highness your husband, has been to the gentlemen’s club on the odd occasion. The press may try to involve him in the scandal” _

Peggy bit her lip. Steve hated going to that club, he said it was pretentious and filled with men who had no similar interests with him, he only ever went out of politeness and in his attempts to bond with Philip. But Tommy raised a point, the press may try to hook Steve into it, the more the better in the media’s point of view. As much as the nation love the Royal Family, they also love to see a rift in them “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Thank you, Tommy”

_ “Your Highness”  _

Peggy put the phone back down on the hook and took a breath before cursing under it. This will surely add to the  _ con  _ list of coming home. Though his name would probably have been dragged into it anyway. But at least over in America they could stay away from it. She went away from the window and found Steve in the nursery with Charlotte.

She sat down on the settee as she watched their daughter play with her toys. When he sat beside her, she told him everything.

“God damn it” he whispered under his breath, looking down to the floor “I didn’t even like going to that stupid place”

“I know, love. But as Tommy said it was just to make us aware. Trust me, they will be focusing on Lilibet and Philip much more than you and I” she placed her hand over his, flattening her palm against him before curling her fingers round to his.

She rested her chin on his shoulder, giving him a warm and fuzzy smile “It’s fine”

“Yeah?”

“We’ve dealt with worse” Peggy smiled, leaning forward and kissing his cheek.

“I guess” Steve gave her hand a squeeze and they both put their attention back to their daughter, Steve thought for a moment and then mumbled “I don’t really care what is said about me, Peggy. But I don’t want her being pulled in by anything”

“Oh no don’t worry, darling, that won’t happen” Peggy shook her head “ _ Neither  _ child will be brought into it”

Steve looked down to her stomach and a smile couldn’t help but creep on his face as his hand rested over it, he nodded and then said in a soothing tone “Suppose this is all that really matters huh?”

“Absolutely” Peggy whispered, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his for a kind tender moment.

* * *

When Elizabeth returned from Balmoral, Peggy didn’t know what she could say to make her feel better. Elizabeth already had it planted in her head that if one man was  _ playing _ away from home whilst on tour for months, what’s to say that Philip wouldn’t feel the power to do the same?

He may not be  _ eligible  _ but he was still considered a bachelor to women, he was even more desirable to the fact that he was married to the Queen. It was an odd logic but that’s the way the world worked. The only answers she could really get were from Elaine herself.

Peggy politely denied going to see her with Elizabeth. She and Elaine never exactly got along that well, they were civil enough but Elaine was always very uptight and felt like she was above being with Royals if that made any kind of sense. Plus this conversation was just purely between the two of them. If Steve was best friends with Mike also and hung out with him every day and night like Philip then yes, she would have gone.

But that wasn’t the case and as Steve has told her several times. She has to let Elizabeth and Margaret handle personal situations on their own sometimes.  So she let them, besides, she had her own stuff to deal with such as being pregnant.

Thankfully, there was nothing said about Steve in the press that made either of them stir. It was just mentioned that he knew of us and went  _ but  _ there had been no claims against him and bloody too right there shouldn’t be. Philip was an easy target because he was a flirt, Steve however was only a flirt with his wife. 

“Well that’s a spot of good news in all of this, hey?” Peggy marveled as she put the paper down on the side table and looked over to Steve who was sat on the small settee at the foot of the bed.

“Tell that to the photographers that were trying to ram into my car this afternoon” Steve said in a light sigh as he sunk further down onto the couch “Still I guess you’re right”

“Listen, as soon as Lilibet straight things out with Philip it will die off” Peggy made her way over to him, leaning over him as she bent down and pressed her lips against his before he even had chance to say anything, she smiled to him “Lighten up”

Steve put his hands to her cheeks and pulled her lips down to his once again before he sat up, which allowed her to sit down. His hand resting on her stomach once again. He thought to himself for a moment and then raised his brows to her “Have I been in a mood these past few days?”

“Slightly”

“I’m sorry” he huffed with a small, exhausted smile “It’s the pregnancy”

Peggy put her head back slightly as she let out a laugh, running her fingers through the back of his hair and teasing him all the same “I see, it’s taking its toll on you?”

“It’s exhausting” he joked dryly.

“I can only imagine” Peggy muttered, looking to him with a smirk “Luckily enough we’re  _ both _ just about halfway there”

“Thank god” Steve dramatically heaved, Peggy just rolling her eyes and swatting his arm. She then put her hand on it again more gently “Oh, by the way. Have you heard Lottie’s baby names for her new brother or sister”

Steve raised a brow “She’s got suggestions”“Boy does she”

“Alright” Steve laughed “What are they?"

Peggy thought for a moment as she remembered “I believe if it is a girl there was Princess Anastasia”

“Jesus” Steve wheezed “We’re not Russian”

“I think it’s from one of her storybooks. But she wants  _ Princess  _ to be part of the baby’s name. So it would be  _ Princess Princess Anastasia _ ”

Steve just stared her before he muttered “Wow...can’t knock the imagination”

“Oh. I’m not done. As well as that, there was also _ Veronica _ -”

“Where is she getting that name from?”

Peggy looked to him “From when we were back in the states and you bought all those  _ Archie Comics _ . But you haven’t even heard the best one”

“Is it from the comics?”

“Yes”

“Please tell me she’s said Archie. Cause that wouldn't be too bad”

Peggy slowly shook her head “She thinks Prince  _ Jughead _ would make a lovely contribution to our family”

Steve couldn’t help but snort a laugh as he bowed his head for a moment “It would sure get people talking”

“It would give the nation a fit. Thinking that the American culture is rubbing off on me”

“God forbid” Steve muttered as he leaned up to her and pressed his lips against her cheek before asking “So what did you say to these names”

“I said they were interesting”

“They are that”

“And that her daddy needs to get some new reading material”

He just rolled his eyes at her. He didn’t bring them over here anyway, they were mostly read as nostalgia from the war. It’s what Bucky always used to have, saying they made you feel like a kid again because of the childish yet all the more entertaining humour. He was right.

Steve wiggled his brows “So are we going to put them on the table?”

“You’re ridiculous”

* * *

Elizabeth went and met up with Philip as more of a press stunt to show that everything was fine between the two of them after these ghastly rumours had come out, it was convincing but not enough. She was there for a while which made the family all the more nervous.

The thing is, divorce wasn’t an option for them. But neither of them wanted that anyway deep down. No matter how frustrated and angry they were with both their lives and each other at times, they still wanted to stay together all the same, they still loved each other they just didn’t know how to express it sometimes.

But none of it excused Philip from acting like an arse because god knows he had his moments in being exactly that at times, with her and the family in general. So hopefully this would be the wake up call he needs, and Peggy hoped Elizabeth made sure he learnt his lesson.

Which is why she was baffled when Elizabeth came back and told her what they had agreed to.

“You’re making him a  _ Prince _ ? He’s been acting like a pillock and you’re giving him a title as some kind of reward?”

“It isn’t like that” Elizabeth sighed “Believe me, Peggy, i gave him a piece of my mind on that ship. We rooted down to the main problems in the marriage and he feels...unvalued compared to me”

“You’re the Queen”

“And his own son”

“Who is the heir to the throne”

“Yes, everything I said to him. But you’ve seen him, he is irritable around men like Tommy Lascelles because they turn their noses up to him”

Peggy sighed, folding her arms and looking out the window. Steve just looked back and forth between the two of them as he sat on the couch, the silence being filled with nothing but the ticking of the grandfather clock that was to the side. He then spoke up “I can see his point there”

Peggy and Elizabeth both looked to him, he once again glanced between them and then looked to Peggy “Come on, baby. You’ve seen how they can be dismissive to me-to Philip it’s even more so for whatever reason. Background exetera”

Peggy’s eyes went from Steve to Elizabeth as she said gently “I know you don’t think he deserves it because of his behaviour. To be quite honest, I don't either. But I can see why this has brought him frustration over the years, and if I had to come to this compromise to make him feel more comfortable and for it to benefit my marriage. Then it’s a bitter pill that we all just have to take”

Peggy took in a breath and just said as she raised her brows to her cousin “He’s lucky that you love him so much”

“I know”

“I just hope he knows too”

“He does, he’s grateful”

Peggy huffed before muttering “He bloody better be” she looked over to Steve who just gave a. Gentle look that was also a message for her to just let it be. It is what he is. This title may not be being given to Philip at the most deserving time, but if it is to make things better for their future then Elizabeth was right, it was bitter pill they all had to take despite their opinions on it.

This was the difference between Philip and Steve, though they were both from the same kind of situation of being an outcast and had people look down on them even now, they dealt with in completely different ways. Steve was more accepting and  _ mature  _ over the fact that Peggy was always going to be on a high pedestal than him because it’s  _ her  _ that everyone looks at before merely glancing to him. Philip however found it an uneasy feeling not being the centre of attention, he wasn’t accepting over being outshadowed so much that people look down on him in some ways, he found it hard to deal with the fact that to the public and nation, their marriage wasn’t equal, because as the Queen, Elizabeth was always going to be more important than him.

So he rebelled instead of trying to make their marriage as equal as possible behind closed doors, he did it to get his own status and own presence known to people. Peggy loved him like a brother but he irritates her so much in the way he goes around his problems of being less important than his wife. It’s why she was grateful she had a man like Steve for her husband. Maybe this is what Elizabeth and Philip needed to make their marriage work, and there was nothing wrong with that, every marriage was different.

But for Steve and Peggy it just put things in perspective that they were lucky to have a relationship like theirs in this life.


	20. Chapter 20

They heard Margaret coming in late  _ again _ . She had been at someone’s wedding, a friend of hers or a friend of a friend. Peggy didn’t quite understand why she even went to it, everyone knows that weddings get her upset. Margaret herself even knew that but it seemed that they had become some kind of obsession of hers. 

What Steve and Peggy didn’t appreciate was her coming in the house at 3 o’clock in the morning, drunk off her face and making so much noise that it woke Charlotte up as well as their four month old baby. Peggy gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the end of June. They named him Noah and he was perfect, except when he was woken up in the middle of the night and ending up crying and screaming at the top of his lungs. Steve got up and handled Charlotte whilst Peggy went and soothed Noah.

Steve rested Charlotte on his waist as he gently rocked her, she pulled back from resting her head on his shoulder “Daddy, what’s wrong with Aunt Maggie?”

Still hearing all the noise on the outside, Steve sighed and rubbed Charlotte’s back “She’s just going through a tough time. Adult stuff”

Soon enough, Peggy came in Charlotte’s bedroom with Noah in her arms. He was still crying, she sighed as she walked in “Steve I need you to take him” she looked to Charlotte and said breathlessly “Hi darling”

Steve put Charlotte back in her bed and took Noah out of Peggy’s arms as she leaned down to her daughter, putting her hand on her head “Do you think you will be okay getting back to sleep, love?”

“Yes mummy”

“Good girl” Peggy pressed her lips against the top of the four year olds head before standing up straight and shooting a look to Steve to let him be aware of her stress as she headed for the door, Steve quickly taking a few steps after her and calling quietly “Where are you going?”

“Where do you think?” Peggy looked to him, hearing the drunken groans from the other side of the upstairs floor. She sighed and shook her head, looking simply exhausted “I won’t be long, I just need to get her in bed”

Steve frowned as he watched his wife make her way over to the other side of their home to attend to her cousin. Sometimes it was like Peggy had to play parent to three children, she was getting more exhausted from staying up with Margaret than she was with her toddler and baby.

Peggy didn’t bother in knocking and just walked into Margaret’s room, seeing the 27 year old prance around her room in a drunken state before she dropped down onto her bed. She had been doing most of her drinking in her room rather than at this wedding, Peggy sighed, dropping her hand from the door knob “Margot”

Margaret looked up from staring down at her whiskey, she took her cigarette from her mouth and smiled “Well if it isn’t my perfect cousin” she didn’t say it in a bitter or vicious tone. She was actually been rather serious and said it in more admiration. Peggy was the one that had everything figured out and sorted out of three of them. Elizabeth pretended she did but they all knew that wasn’t the case.

“You need to stop this” Peggy said gently, taking the cigarette from her and crushing it in the ashtray, then taking the whiskey which Margaret commented as she reached out for “I wasn’t done”

“It’s three o’clock in the morning. Believe me you are most done” Peggy said, swigging back the drink herself for all it was worth. There was no point leaving it on the side because Margaret would just pick it up again and besides, she needed it now.

“Oh dear” Margaret slapped her wrist “Are you cross with me?”

“Now is not the time to have this conversation” Peggy said, putting her hand on Margaret’s petite waist to pull her from the bed and take off her dress for her before throwing her nightgown at her “Come on”

Margaret then just did as she was told and put on her nightgown as Peggy pulled back the duvet covers ready for her to get into, which she then just did. Peggy put the covers back over her and sighed “You need to start taking better care of yourself”

Margaret just grumbed and turned to her sides as her eyes shut. Just like that, she was out like a light. Whereas Peggy doubt she would get back to sleep so quickly. She stood there, she stared, seriously thought about strangling her and then left. Making her way back down the mile long walk that was the hallway to get back into their bedroom, Steve already there. She nodded “Of course the children went down quicker”

Steve just huffed and pulled the duvet back “Come to bed, baby”

Peggy pressed her hands on the foot of the bed as she leaned down on it for a moment and bowed her head. Just taking a moment for herself before eventually climbing onto the bed but not getting under the duvet just yet, she sat back and just pondered for a moment. She shook her head “It’s getting worse”

She looked back to her husband after the silence and saw him shrug “There’s not that much we can do, Peg”

“I know” Peggy sighed. She felt his hand grip hold of hers which caused her eyes to shift back to him, seeing his kind and warm expression. She soon felt better bit by bit. Peggy moved herself forward and more towards him, putting her hand to his cheek, stroking his skin with her thumb before dropping into a smile and leaning forward to kiss him. Her hands resting on his cheeks as her body pressed against his, her tongue brushing against his. Steve smirked against her lips before pulling back and mumbling “Where’s this going?”

“Well if I’m not going to get anymore sleep easily” Peggy straddled him and continued to kiss him before saying with a wicked smirk “I should try to do something to wear me out”

Steve smiled as he gazed at her, his hands gripped tighter to her waist as her hip rocked against his, hearing her giggle as he buried his face in his neck and kissed her skin, her fingers running through the back of his hair. Considering she had just been annoyed and frustrated, this was certainly a surprising outcome but he wasn’t complaining one bit. Gently, he turned for Peggy to be lay on her back. Where only good things followed.

* * *

The very next morning, Peggy was shocked to find out that the event that Margaret had come home from, she came home as an engaged woman. Margaret rangand told Elizabeth early morning and then informed Peggy over breakfast.

Peggy just looked at her, staring in complete and utter shock “Engaged...to Billy Wallace?”

“Yes”

“As in  _ Billy Wallace, Billy Wallace _ ?”

“Unless you know others” Margaret muttered as she lit her cigarette before grabbing a piece of toast, feeling her cousins eyes still burning on her beside the odd glance to Steve over the table. Margaret looked to them both and rolled her eyes “What?”

Peggy and Steve continued to look at each other for a moment and then Steve looked to her and muttered “Billy’s a damn idiot”

Margaret’s face dropped to a stern glare “He has been a friend to the family for years”

Peggy sat back in her chair and sighed, trying to find her words carefully. She knew why Margaret had agreed to this, not because she loved Billy, she in no way loved him. She didn’t even like him in a romantic way and Peggy was absolutely certain that she wasn’t even attracted to him. Margaret had agreed to this because she was alone, and has found no one to take care of her since Peter left.

“What has Lilibet said?”

“Well she’s given her approval to this one” Margaret muttered bitterly. To which Peggy just ignored and didn’t press, glancing to Steve again, she then decided to try and be as supportive as she could be “Margot, we can’t tell you what to do and if you really feel good about this then you have my support. All I ask is that you know what you’re doing, that you won’t regret it”

Margaret just nodded, partly surprised that Peggy had let it go so smoothly, but in all honesty Peggy was just tired of having a debate nearly every single day of her life. She knew Steve would have a few things to say about it when being in private.

He couldn’t even save it, as soon as they walked down the hall he put his input in “We both know why she’s doing this”

“Of course we do”

“Trying to prove a damn point to her sister” Steve stated as he put his hands in his pockets “I mean, of all the guys it had to be Billy? Jesus I should’ve introduced Bucky when I had the chance”

“I’m starting to warm up to that idea now” Peggy sighed “What’s one more American to the party?” she looked to him and smirked which he then did back. Looking forward again, he shook his head “He’s just going to hurt her, Peg”

“There’s nothing I can do”

“You’re a good talk her can’t you just…” he paused as he frailed his hand about “Talk”

Peggy laughed breathlessly, linking her arm with his “Darling. You always say to me that I need to leave her to her own devices”

“Yeah well this device is going to come back and bite us all on the ass. He’s either going to cheat or doing something else to humiliate her like...like show up at the wedding drunk. We both know he would”

Peggy thought for a moment before muttering “How fast do you think you can get Bucky here?”

Steve snorted and shook his head “Don’t tempt me”

She rested her head against his for a moment and let out a light sigh “Listen, we will have to cross the burning bridge when it comes to it but right now all we can do is just-”

“Sit back and wait for the flames”

“Exactly...also it’s her birthday soon enough, I want her to have as little disappointment and trouble as possible”

Steve sucked in a breath and shrugged “Not really up to us, that’s up to Billy”

“God and we have such good faith in him” Peggy mumbled under her breath, both of them just exchanging a glance and sighed as they continued to head to their children’s nursery.

* * *

A few days past and it was the evening of Elizabeth and Philip’s ten year wedding anniversary dinner. Steve and Peggy were almost halfway there at least.

Walking down to the front, Margaret’s lady's maid came over to them and informed them that Margaret would not be joining them until later on, she had gone to Billy’s home after hearing that he had taken a serious injury. Steve looked to Peggy and raised his brows “Let’s hope it’s nothing  _ too  _ serious”

“Stop it” Peggy whispered with amusement, pushing him towards the car before getting in beside him. When in the car though, they did come up with theories on what could have happened. They all knew he was a bit of a moron but how the hell has he got seriously injured? Steve came up with drink driving and Peggy had to admit that that was the most likely situation.

They arrived at the palace not shortly after and met with Elizabeth and Philip as soon as they did. Peggy putting her hands on Elizabeth’s arms and saying as she kissed her cheek “Happy anniversary”

They thanked them both, soon enough Peggy’s eyes met Elizabeth’s and she knew that they were both thinking the same thing. She shrugged to her “I know”

Elizabeth sighed and mumbled as they walked towards the dining room, with Philip and Steve talking behind them “Philip thinks it will end in a disaster. And think’s that Billy Wallis is an absolute-”

“Moron” Peggy sighed, then nodding “Yes, Steve thinks exactly the same. Perhaps they have seen a side to him that we haven’t-though even I think he is a bit of an idiot. Certainly not someone I would have picked for her”

Elizabeth let out a breath and shrugged “But what can we do?”

“We can do absolutely nothing, it’s her choice. I just hope she realises that she is doing this for the wrong reasons before she actually walks down the aisle”

Elizabeth said nothing, she just hummed as her agreement and they didn’t speak of it anmore once they were in the dining room. They sat beside each other, with Steve and Philip sat opposite, Margaret and Billy were to be sat beside Peggy. Well they were  _ supposed  _ to be. But Elizabeth’s Private Secretary Michael came over to inform her that Margaret was on her way but without Billy, it seemed that they weren’t going to announce their engagement. To them, it sounded as if the relationship had ended but they weren’t to know until afterwards.

Billy’s place was cleared by the staff and then Margaret came in afterwards. She said nothing, cearly putting on a brave face. They all just gave her a kind smile as she sat down to make her feel as welcome as possible. She wasn’t sat for long however, just nearing the end of Philip’s speech to Elizabeth for their anniversary, Margaret shot up and left the room.

Elizabeth looked to Peggy, who frowned with exhaustion and simply put her hand on Elizabeth’s arm as she then too got up and left the room. Margaret being just in the next room, her hands on her hips and letting out deep shaken breaths.

Peggy closed the door quietly and remained silent for a moment before finally asking in a gentle voice “What happened?”

Margaret let out a breath, her eyes were closed as she shook her head “You were right, you were all right”

“We don’t take any joy in that, Margot” Peggy cooed as she took another step forward, she raised her brows “What did he do?”

“He was using our situation to get women” she chided, slowly turning to face Peggy, still shaking her head “Is every man I meet going to have an agenda?”

Peggy was then the one to shake her head “No. There will be one that you meet, a genuine one. I promise you that”

“I feel like I already met that man…”

Peggy frowned. Not quite knowing what to say, she couldn’t tell Margaret that wasn’t true because seven years ago she was in that same situation of not wanting anyone else and not trusting any other man to be with her other than Steve who at the time she couldn’t have, the sad difference here is that Peter was never going to come back.

The young woman then extended her arm to the other room “And I have to sit there and listen to Philip profess his undying love to Lilibet. I have to see the looks that Steve gives you and think about how no one looks at me that way”

Peggy just stared at her, at first not knowing what to say but she then just simply shrugged and spoke kindly “Yes. For now. Yes”

“For now?”

“Until you meet that genuine man and no longer feel isolated” Peggy walked over to her and put her hands on her arms, giving her a gentle rub “Listen to me, the speech is over, there will be no more professes of love tonight. Just laughter and booze”

Even though they were slightly concerned about Margaret’s drinking at the moment, it was unlikely that they could have that conversation now and that she wouldn’t drink tonight, so Peggy would use it tonight to try and lighten her mood. Though it didn’t do much.

Not knowing what else to say, she just pulled her close and held her for a few seconds.

* * *

Peggy slipped off her heels and tossed them to the side as she heard Steve say when taking off his tie “Part of me wants to go round there and kick his ass”

“Steve he’s already hurt, he’s been shot” Peggy said in an airly laugh.

“Clearly it’s not enough by the way Margaret described his attitude” he muttered as he put his tailored jacket on the hanger, slipping his hands in his pockets and then looking at her

“She has a point though”

Peggy looked to him, resting her arms down against her legs “About which bit?”

“What she said to us. Being hard for her in living with a happily married couple”

“Is that what we are?” Peggy smirked.

Steve nodded as he walked over to her, then kneeling down in front of her “Oh most definitely” Peggy grinned, putting her hand on his cheek as her lips met his. Her arms then went around his neck as she pulled him closer, letting out a satisfied breath through her nose as the kiss deepened much to her delight, and his.

“I think you need help getting this off” Steve whispered between the kiss as his hand went to the zipper of her dress, Peggy buried her face into his neck and just giggled. A few moments after returning her lips to him they then heard another round of Margaret’s breakdown from across the hall.

Music up to full blast and banging. It was a good job that the children were staying overnight at Michael’s and her mothers else this would really have woke them up and caused another constant few hours of crying from Noah. they two of them pulled their lips away from each other and just sighed as they listened.

At least she had good taste in music. Steve knelt back and just looked to Peggy, expecting her to stand up and go to deal with it. But she didn’t move, he raised a brow and she shook her head as a response. She then did stand but she didn’t leave the room, she just got out of her dress and grabbed her nightgown. He turned around on his heel and looked to her, remaining silent but let her know he was still confused by it.

Peggy looked to him and just shook her head “No. She needs to get through it and deal with it on her own sometimes. If the kids were here then I would go but tonight. I just want to get in bed”

“You really think you’ll be able to sleep with that going on?” he asked as he stood up, Peggy just shrugged as she walked over to the bed and muttered “I can give it my best shot...at least it’s Ella Fitzgerald she is playing, not the worst choice in the world”  

Steve shrugged and soon joined her after getting changed. His arm went around her right away and pulled her body close, he laid a kiss on the top of her head and they both closed their eyes. Still hearing the music and the banging. Trying to move past it, suddenly the banging stopped, which caused their eyes to opened. Peggy briefly lifted her head from his shoulder to listen harder. The music was still going but it seemed that she had stopped throwing things around.

“Well” Steve muttered “That’s one down...records gotta stop eventually”

Peggy let out another breath and rested her head back down against his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest and gently rubbing it with her tumb “It can’t go on like this”

“Naw it can’t” he kissed the top of her head again “Can’t for us”

“I don’t know what we can do”

It fell silent between them for a moment, Steve said nothing yet he still got a firm “What?” from Peggy, he looked down to her “I didn’t say anything”

“I know but you’re thinking something”

“How do you know? You can’t even see me”

“I’m your wife, Steve. I don’t have to look at you to see you”

He huffed a small laugh but knew full well that she was right. Peggy then sat up more and faced him, still gently stroking his chest as she asked gently “What?”

Steve just stared at her for a moment, possible getting briefly lost by her captivation and then got on with what he was thinking, letting out a heavy shrug “I think we should get our own place”

Peggy kept silent for a moment and then looked down to the mattress as she thought about his words, hearing him addon “You remember how much we loved having our own place over in Brooklyn?”

“Of course” she looked back to him, he shrugged again and shook his head “we didn’t love it  _ because  _ we were in Brooklyn. We loved it because we had freedom”

Peggy bit her lip as she thought some more about the idea, he had a fair point, she knew that much. Steve held onto her hand that was against his chest “Baby all I’m saying is that we should think about it”

She gave his hand a squeeze and nodded “Alright”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, we can talk about it. But right now, I really just want to sleep”

Steve chuckled and nodded his head to her, holding her close again “Okay honey that I think that’s pretty fair”

Peggy rested back down to the mattress, her head returning to his shoulder as he held her close. Luckily the record finished shortly after.

* * *

When Peggy said that Margaret would meet a genuine man, she didn’t expect her to find someone days after. But she had met a photographer at a party that she went to and met Anthony Armstrong. Young, charming and she liked him.

At first, she thought that he was interested in men. But the more time that she spent with him, the more she realised that he was certainly interested in women, though nothing had happened between them. After a brunch with her and Elizabeth, Peggy said for Elizabeth not to say anything to her that can be seen as negative. But Elizabeth didn’t really have anything negative to say right now, neither of them did. Perhaps because they hadn’t met him yet. Margaret seems to think that they would like him.

She also used to term  _ dangerous  _ which quickly made them feel slightly uneasy but they let it go. The good thing about this was that she was out of the house more, her drinking was less. And there were no breakdowns in the middle of the night. The children could sleep which meant that Steve and Peggy could sleep, it was almost blissful. 

The conversation of buying their own place dissolved as the days past. With things being better with Margaret it wasn’t considered a top topic at the moment, they were too busy enjoying the night silence and lack of upsets. One thing they greatly appreciated was that they weren’t interrupted when being intimate, people would be surprised how many times that happened over the past few months. It was almost as if they went back in time to how things were a few years ago.

It wasn’t to last long though, as Peggy could tell when one morning the morning paper that they received had an interesting picture on the forth page. Yes, Anthony Armstrong was a photographer. It was plain to see by the naked portrait of Margaret, it wasn’t like it was a full nude photograph, it was just from her shoulders up. Mind you that the bare shoulders was still seen as rather scandalous.

“Jesus” Steve laughed as they both look at it, shaking his head “Aw hell I bet Elizabeth is traumatised”

Peggy rested her head against her head, not quite sure what to think. She would personally never do it, but it could be far worse. It was actually a rather beautiful portrait, just not something that she would choose to have put in a national paper. And she  _ knows  _ that Margaret is behind this, she’s always wanted to stand out and what a way to do it.

She took looked to him and broke out a smirk as she snorted a laugh, she shook her head and pushed it back over to him.

“She’s a braver woman than I am”

Margaret may be happier now, but something told Peggy that this new guy was going to be both a blessing and a curse.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment of your thoughts and kudos if you enjoyed :)
> 
> More chapters to come.


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